


red is a lovely color on you, angel

by irlangel_3i



Category: VIXX
Genre: Angels, Demons, M/M, Slow Burn, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2019-10-15 01:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 120,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17519966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irlangel_3i/pseuds/irlangel_3i
Summary: taekwoon is an angel that doesn’t know what empathy is and hakyeon is the vampire that has to teach him.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> fair warning that I only wrote this for fun (if angst can be fun) and it’s the most self indulgent thing in the world. expect there to be typos bc I’m a dumbass even when I attempt to edit things

The night air smells faintly of fish and, somehow, gasoline, but Wonshik can’t find it in himself to be upset with their small riverside town. He doesn’t think he’s allowed to be upset really, not when he’s not even supposed to be out in the first place. Though, he’s pretty sure the rumors about ‘something dangerous’ in the area are all bullshit. Wonshik himself is something dangerous in the area. So, he has decided to relish in these warm summer nights while he can, not that he even goes outside that often. He has been bored lately is all. Though, the barely humid breeze against his skin, the crickets chirping in the long-abandoned garden, and the fact that he didn’t have to bundle up are all things he will miss.

“Shik?” Hakyeon asks as he peeks his head out of the door and looks in the opposite direction.

“Here,” Wonshik calls, voice gruff from not being used all night. Hakyeon has been busy, if you count binge-watching some drama as busy, and Jaehwan is working, so Wonshik hasn’t really had anyone to talk to. Instead, he’s been lingering out on the porch, legs hanging off the ledge and swaying similarly to the slowly yellowing leaves. In short, their lives have been boring as of late.

“Ah,” Hakyeon lets out, this time looking towards Wonshik. He steps out onto the porch and settles his weight onto his right side as he says, “You should come in soon. The sun is going to rise and I told you not to stay out here too long anyway.”

“I will,” Wonshik responds with a sigh. “How’s that drama?”

“Cheesy, but I finished the entire thing,” Hakyeon tells him. Wonshik huffs out a laugh and shakes his head. “I know, we need to pick up some hobbies, knitting or something,” he adds quietly, more like he’s saying it to himself than anything. Then, without another word, he wanders back inside. He walks with his arms crossed and his head down like he is contemplating something, but Wonshik suspects he is trying to think back to whatever drama Jaehwan recommended to him the other day so he can binge that too.

Wonshik sighs again as he looks out onto the street. It’s dark, the only light being from the moon and the streetlight, buzzing loudly and dimly flickering yellow. He isn’t even sure what he is doing out here in the first place now that he thinks about it. He found himself lingering outside, sometimes wandering around despite Hakyeon’s orders not to leave the property, ever since the ‘something dangerous’ rumors started floating about. He supposes life has just been that dull. Not-so-coincidentally, that is around the time when Hakyeon started spending more time inside, cautious and careful as he is. Stargazing was always the other man’s thing, Wonshik just likes the newfound danger in it.

After quickly stretching, arms raised high above his head and back cracking a bit uncomfortably, he brings his feet back up to the ledge and stands. He spares one last glance towards the empty street and begins to turn, but something catches his eye. There was a small object falling from a tree, the sky, somewhere, and landing with a subtle thump in the yard. “What the fuck?” Wonshik mutters


	2. Night 1- Of Doves and Devils

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> into the actual story !! i hope you enjoy my poor attempt at writing (and forgive any typos)

Wonshik being up and awake before dusk is one step short of a miracle, though he is out of bed this early for good reason. There is currently a dove occupying the bed in the guest room of his and Hakyeon’s home. Wonshik discovered it last night when it supposedly fell from the sky. What he calls his human side, and Hakyeon simply refers to as empathy, compelled him to scoop the bird with the weak heartbeat up into his hands and carry it inside. Hakyeon sighed when Wonshik displayed it to him and instructed him to leave it in the guest room until they could call Jaehwan to heal it. Wonshik followed orders, pulling the thin white sheet up over it for good measure. Hakyeon tells him he should have put it in a box or something, but there's no point in correcting it now that the sheets are already sullied. So, maybe Wonshik doesn't know much about animals.

Wonshik slips a hoodie over his head, one that still smells vaguely of Jaehwan, and smiles as he strolls over to the room. Before he even reaches the door he can hear its heartbeat, stronger now than it was the night prior, and his grin grows the slightest bit. Wonshik confidently opens the door, but, as he lifts his eyes from the doorknob to the bed, he feels his blood run cold. Colder.

Before him is not a dove, but the seemingly naked figure of a man. The sheet he had so delicately placed over the dove is now draped over the stranger’s hips in a way that almost seems intentional, like it was carefully placed so it could be photographed or recreated by some artisan. The man’s hair is white, as pure and bright as the dove’s feathers, and his skin is pale and unblemished. In short, he looks as if he were crafted by the gods.

Just to be sure his eyes aren’t deceiving him, he starts towards the stranger. If it’s just a man, he can overpower him in a second, and it doesn’t smell like magic, so Wonshik doesn’t see any reason to hesitate. He stops at the edge of the bed and reaches his hand out, to wake the man or just poke at him to make sure he’s real, he’s not entirely sure himself. His hand hovers over the man’s head, sleeve nearly grazing his nose, but, before he can make contact, his back is slammed against a wall. It’s too fast for Wonshik to process, but when he regains his bearings and looks up, the man doesn’t seem to be a man anymore. There are large white wings extended behind him as he sits on the bed, now wrapped in the sheet and glaring at Wonshik. Wonshik can only stare on with his jaw dropped, half in wonderment and half in fear.

“Wonshik, what was that?” comes Hakyeon’s voice from the kitchen. Wonshik’s eyes dart towards the open door, then to the winged creature, mostly expecting to get attacked again or at least threatened, but the man-thing is just staring at him. His eyes are narrowed and dark, but there’s a glint of something else in there as well, perhaps vulnerability. Wonshik knows he should feel threatened, especially going by the way his ribs and back still ache, but there is a gentle way about the creature that eases his nerves the slightest bit. “Shik?” Hakyeon calls again, his tone sounding a bit more concerned this time. There are a few beats of silence, heavy and suffocating, then the sound of footsteps heading towards the room.

Wonshik doesn’t know why he doesn’t speak, doesn’t warn Hakyeon that there is some sort of angelic-looking creature in the room, but he doesn’t. So, when Hakyeon gets to the door and looks up from his phone, mindlessly shoving it in his back pocket, the words he lets out are less than elegant. “What in Satan's name are you?” he blurts out, already in defense mode. He reaches a hand out to Wonshik, urgently waving him over, but the younger male is hesitant to move. He looks to the creature, who, thankfully, doesn’t seem ready to pounce. He chances a step and nothing happens, so he quickly grabs Hakyeon’s hand and scurries behind him.

“Be careful,” Wonshik whispers, eyes trained over Hakyeon’s shoulder to focus on the creature.

“What are you?” Hakyeon questions again, sans the initial shock and aggression.

It’s obvious that, with its power and apparent ability to shapeshift, it’s magical, even if the faint aroma of vanilla smoke isn’t there. It’s not a demon, those can’t bear white wings even when they shapeshift. Though, that’s something Sanghyuk had told him so it can be taken lightly. Witches can do something akin to shapeshifting, but they aren’t nearly as powerful. Wonshik knows the obvious answer. It’s just so impossible that he doesn’t even allow the thought to cross his mind.

“An angel,” it, or _he_  responds, voice much lighter than Wonshik thought it would be. His jaw literally drops at its response, unable to even fathom how that would be possible. Angels stopped coming to the human realm hundreds of years ago and, _if_ they came back, they surely wouldn’t drop down to _this_ house in the form of an injured dove. The angel’s presence is overwhelming, large wings and practically glowing white, but Wonshik can only see an enigma. “What are you?” the angel asks, looking the pair over with narrowed eyes. “You don’t seem to be human.”

“What does it matter?” Hakyeon retorts.

“I’d like to know if you could be any help in returning me from this place,” he states softly. Hakyeon’s brows furrow as he and Wonshik share a confused look. “Or did you bring me here?”

“We didn’t,” the elder responds before curiously adding, “And you obviously haven’t fallen from grace.” The creature shakes his head in time with Wonshik’s nod.

Wonshik admittedly doesn’t know much about angels. He and Jaehwan have pondered about them before, back when Jaehwan didn’t work through the night and they had time to scour old texts purely out of curiosity, but that wasn’t much help. One day, Wonshik went home to Hakyeon after one of these research binges and asked about them, which is where all of his knowledge came from.

Angels, pure ones at least, stopped coming to the human realm a little over 300 years ago because that was when demons and such figured out they could come to this place as well. They started retaliating, causing trouble as demons do. In the end, the angels fled without explanation, leaving humans to fend for themselves. Wonshik thinks it is better that way though. Demons are mischievous creatures by nature, but their targets were always the angels, humans merely got caught in the crossfire.

After that, the only angels to touch ground in the human realm were the ones that fell from grace, literally. Their wings dissolve and the rest of them slowly withers away to dust, light magic seeping out of them to form a tragically beautiful halo effect. They’ve become quite taboo over the years. Demons and such creatures want nothing to do with them, other angels couldn’t visit them even if they wanted to, and humans can’t see them. They have a harrowing end, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with this angel.

Wonshik rubs his sore ribs.

“Do you need a place to stay?” Hakyeon asks clearly, but the question doesn’t immediately process in Wonshik’s mind. “I assume you’ll be here a while if you don’t know how to get back.”

“Hakyeon, what, think with your brain,” Wonshik stumbles over his words in his shock. He grabs Hakyeon’s shoulder, forcing him to turn and look back at Wonshik’s expression of complete disbelief. Hakyeon blinks at him.

“I’d like to go back to Heaven. I don’t plan on staying,” the angel cuts in.

“See?” Wonshik adds, pointing a thumb in the angel’s direction. Hakyeon ignores him, instead choosing to look to the angel.

“How do you think you’re going to do that? How long will it take?” Hakyeon questions, earning a scoff from Wonshik. He looks to the angel now too, and doesn’t miss the way he nervously darts his tongue out to wet his chapped lips. The angel glances down to the sheets and opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. “Have you ever been here, to the human realm, Angel? What do you know about how things work here now?”

“I-,” he starts, brows furrowed, “No, nothing.”

“See?” Hakyeon prompts as he looks to the younger male, teasing. “I say we house him for a bit, at least until he knows enough to be alone. It’s far too dangerous for him like this, especially with the rumors going around.”

“Isn’t that more reason not to keep him? It’s not like we can tell people about him. What if Council finds out that we are hiding an angel?” Wonshik huffs. He can’t believe what he is hearing from Hakyeon’s mouth. Hakyeon is supposed to be the responsible one, the safe one. He barely even goes outside anymore, so what makes him think that having an angel holed up in their guest room is a good idea? Wonshik was hoping for some entertainment, yes, but not with such high stakes.

“That won’t happen,” Hakyeon insists, ignoring the younger vampire's doubting look in favor of adding, “Those wings are no better than a target on his back, Wonshik.”

At that, Wonshik can't help but falter. He doesn’t know if it's the fierceness of the determination in Hakyeon’s eyes that he’s only seen maybe twice before or his human side finally kicking in, yelling at him to think about more than himself, but he supposes it doesn’t matter what in particular set it off when self-doubt has already arisen. He looks to the angel, who is wearily scanning the two of them with his eyes.

“Vampires,” he asks more than really states. Hakyeon nods to confirm. “What makes you think I’d trust you? Why would you help me?”

“Empathy,” the elder male states simply, but the angel just furrows his brows. “I’m not saying you have to trust us, but I’d be grateful if you did. We have resources to keep you warm, clean, clothed, and fed if you stay.”

“But why?” the angel questions, tilting his head to the side slightly. Hakyeon raises his eyebrows for a moment before a small smile settles on his lips. Wonshik isn’t sure he understands.

“Oh, Angel, you have so much to learn,” Hakyeon tells him, tone softer now.

“I suppose you’re right,” the angel mutters.

 

———

 

They discussed names, Hakyeon introducing both himself and Wonshik while the angel suspiciously stuttered out the name ‘Leo’. Hakyeon thinks it suits him in a way that he doesn’t entirely know how to explain, though it was fairly obvious he wasn’t being truthful. The vampire also briefly explained the layout of the house, telling him what all the rooms on the first floor are and leaving the second floor to ‘mostly storage’. The guest room will become Leo’s room, where he should sleep during the day while the vampires sleep in their own respective rooms.

They lead Leo out of the room with the promise of clothing and urged him to stay put while they grab wardrobe options. The angel only eyed Hakyeon at first, a bit weary, but nodded as he walked himself over to the large recliner in front of the windows. Hakyeon was nervous to see him there, but told himself a relationship is built on nothing if not trust. He tried not to focus on the curtains wavering from the gentle breeze coming through the barely-open window and went to his room to retrieve any clothes he deemed suitable for the angel.

 

Clothes shoved into a basket and basket shoved onto his hip, he heads back out to the living room. Leo’s wings are more hidden away now, but that doesn’t mean he looks more comfortable. His legs seem to be tucked under himself and he’s clutching the sheet tighter, eyes downcast. Hakyeon hears himself sigh, quickly catching the attention of the angel. Leo quickly turns his head to look at the vampire, who can only offer a sad smile.

Hakyeon knows that taking the angel in is crazy, reckless behavior, but he couldn’t just send him away. He felt something, similar to what he felt when he first came across Wonshik, but somehow softer and more pronounced all at the same time. Now is no time to be introspective though, there is a naked angel in his living room.

“I don’t know what you wear up there or what your personal tastes are, but I just collected the things that seemed like they'd fit you best,” Hakyeon tells him, breaking the silence. He starts towards the couch, but decides against it, realizing there won't be much room for a large pile of clothes, and instead plops himself down on the floor. It was a lavish carpet at one time, though in recent days it feels a lot more run down. Hakyeon thinks that can be blamed on Jaehwan’s and Wonshik’s past sleepovers where they’d build forts and try to stay up into the harsh hours of the day. Still, that’s neither here nor there. Right now, the carpet just needs to be what it is, a flat surface to dump his clothes onto. “Let’s go, Shik,” he beckons.

“Give me a minute,” Wonshik calls back, no attitude, just a genuine request. Hakyeon allows it.

He feels a bit bad for forcing the other vampire to donate clothes to Hakyeon’s cause, but he thinks Wonshik will come to understand. Wonshik has always been the more empathetic one, childish perhaps, in the way he holds love in his heart for stray cats and the praying mantises that no longer have a home since Hakyeon has given up on their garden, but Hakyeon’s empathy comes into play when it really counts, when the creature that needs assistance is something more than a cute bug. He’s older, wiser, and as Wonshik grows he will realize that this is the right choice.

“What’s that?” Leo’s voice breaks Hakyeon’s introspective train of thought the vampire promised himself he wouldn’t follow right now. He glances up in silent question and the angel pulls a hand out from behind the sheet to point in the direction of a pair of light denim jeans as if to answer. Hakyeon furrows his brows and points directly to them, earning a nod from the angel as he covers his arm with the sheet again.

“Jeans,” Hakyeon answers, not any less confused at the angel’s confirmation that he, in fact, doesn’t know what jeans are. “Pants made of denim, don’t you have them up there?”

Leo hesitates for a few moments, eyes slightly narrowed again, but he does answer. “No, most angels wear robes,” he replies quietly before adding, “I’d like it if you didn’t ask me about Heaven.”

“Ah, of course, sorry,” Hakyeon apologizes, fighting a frown. He supposes the angel doesn’t trust him yet, which is understandable, but still disappointing. Instead of dwelling on said disappointment, he tries to focus on how the hell he’s supposed to explain the prospect of skinny jeans and the like.

 

It takes a bit to build the angel a sufficient wardrobe out of the things Wonshik and Hakyeon could put together on the spot, but it doesn’t drag. The half-hour passes quickly, Hakyeon and Wonshik lightly bickering and playing around as normal, the angel looking on curiously as they do. There are a few things Hakyeon has had to stop to explain, like sarcasm and skinship, but Leo seems to catch on quickly. He is still as reserved as one would expect, and a bit hostile if Hakyeon’s judgment is to be trusted, but all around it didn’t feel that strange. It felt more like an old friend crashing at your place after losing their luggage rather than trying to dress an angel that practically dropped into your lap. Again, it’s a strange feeling.

The angel seemed to pick out only the looser clothes, though some snugger pants and fitting sweaters were given to him purely out of necessity. He thinks he will have to make some calls and get Leo a proper wardrobe sooner rather than later. Hakyeon’s tastefully oversized button-ups and Wonshik’s baggy sweatpants can only do so much.

They send Leo to the guest room to change with a pair of slacks and a thin white shirt before Hakyeon turns his attention to Wonshik. “Doesn’t this feel weird to you?” Hakyeon prompts. Wonshik just offers a shrug in response as he picks his scattered garments up off the floor and tosses them into a laundry basket, a smug grin on his face each and every time he makes it in the basket. “It just feels too simple,” he adds, almost absentmindedly. This seems to catch Wonshik off guard and he pauses, straightening up and resting his first with a balled up t-shirt tucked into it on his hip as he looks down at Hakyeon. The elder can practically feel the judgment rolling off of Wonshik in waves. Of course this isn’t simple, Hakyeon thinks, none of this is simple, but natural maybe. “I’m not saying things are ideal, but they’re more,” Hakyeon pauses, hands flailing as he searches for the right word, “ _Okay,_ I guess, than I thought they would be. The point is, things are okay.”

“That almost makes sense,” Wonshik tells him, a hint of teasing in his voice. Hakyeon smiles at him, strangely happy that Wonshik is comfortable enough to be teasing him right now. Still, who would Hakyeon be if not a drama queen? He waits for Wonshik to look away before he balls up a t-shirt and tosses it at the younger vampire’s head. Wonshik fakes a scoff and opens his mouth to probably comment on Hakyeon’s old age, but his potential insult is cut off by the sound of a door opening.

They look over to see an obviously uncomfortable angel, cringing and pulling at the fabric of the t-shirt. His wings are shifted away, thankfully, because Hakyeon completely overlooked them and how the hell they planned to accommodate that feature. “Your human garments are the least comfortable thing I’ve ever had the misfortune to wear,” the angel comments and Wonshik can’t help his laughter. He doubles over, somehow tipping over his laundry basket in the process, which only seems to upset Leo if his subtle pout is anything to go by. Hakyeon slaps at Wonshik’s thigh from his spot on the floor and Wonshik finally stands upright again, wiping the tears from his eyes as the angel huffs quietly to himself. His child is truly just that, a child.

Amidst the commotion, Hakyeon manages to spot the tag of Leo’s shirt peeking out over the collar. “Leo, your shirt,” Hakyeon starts as he pushes himself up off the floor and clears the distance between them in a few strides. “The tag is supposed to go in the back,” he informs, but Leo just looks down, seemingly confused. Hakyeon reaches a hand out to tuck the tag into his shirt and helps him turn it around, but before he can lay a finger on him, Leo jumps backward. His wings extend in a split second, spreading out and knocking a vase off of a shelf on the wall, and Hakyeon feels absolute dread for the first time in a long while.

“Don’t,” Leo says softly, “Never touch me.” Hakyeon nods a bit too quickly, apologies dying on his tongue as the angel disappears behind the door of the guest room again. He stares at the dark wood paneling, unsure of what to feel or what to do.

“I could have called that,” Wonshik adds from somewhere behind him, too casual for the situation at hand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked it uwu-- i haven't actually decided on an upload schedule yet so bear with me (if anyone actually wants to continue reading after this).. n e wayz kudos and comments are appreciated.  
> also I swear there’s a purpose for using taekwoon’s stage name


	3. Night 2- What Do You Know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy this chapter uwu

\------

 

There are a lot of things that come with trusting Hakyeon, such as the ongoing theatre production that is his life. As far as Wonshik can see, everything is a new chance to be dramatic. Sure, Hakyeon is usually the safer one, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be dramatic about the smaller things.

For example, the angel needs his own clothes. Wonshik doesn’t see how that is at the top of their list of priorities when the angel has already agreed to wear their, apparently horrifically uncomfortable 'human' clothes, but he has decided to trust Hakyeon. He watches Hakyeon pace back and forth across the living room, on a call with one of his many connections. “It just has to feel nice, like silk or something, and it has to be loose. The design and details are up to you guys,” Hakyeon speaks, halting to adjust the crooked frame of a painting on the wall before sighing and continuing his pacing. Wonshik guesses that could be attested to Leo slamming one of his wings against the wall the night prior, but oh well. “ _Not_ an option, Sanghyuk. Put Hongbin back on the phone before I go somewhere else with my money,” Hakyeon pauses again, scoffing. “He doesn’t want to- You kids are so immature. Just have Hongbin call me later, demon,” he finishes before ending the call. “Useless, utterly useless,” Hakyeon mutters, lacking any real bite. Wonshik laughs, earning a tired smile from the elder.

“Sanghyuk being an asshole again?” Wonshik asks, though the answer is obvious. Hakyeon doesn’t answer and just plops himself on the couch adjacent to Wonshik. The worry swimming in his eyes is apparent as he looks to the door, even to Wonshik. He feels bad just thinking about all the things that must be flooding Hakyeon’s mind right now and he almost swears he can see the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out the best course of action for each little step. If he weren’t so worried about Hakyeon’s head exploding due to an inflated ego, he might compliment him for being this cool and compassionate so far. He knows he’d never hear the end of it though, so he decides that cutely resting his head on the elder’s shoulder will have to be enough for now.

Apparently, this small action is enough to snap Hakyeon out of his daze, because he soon looks down to Wonshik with a small smile. “What?” Hakyeon asks, obviously unaware of the question Wonshik asked less than a minute before. Wonshik simply shakes his head with a light laugh. “Sorry, I was just wondering whether I should go see if he’s up or not. There’s no real business he has to attend to, but it’d be better for him to adjust to our schedule sooner rather than later.”

Wonshik shrugs, but adds, “Yeah, you should probably make sure he’s awake at least,” when he notices the corner of Hakyeon’s lips begin to downturn.

“I’ll just knock,” Hakyeon tells him as he pops up off the couch. Wonshik rolls his eyes.

 

\----------  
  
Hakyeon is pulling the door to the bedroom open before he even realizes it himself. He’s already knocked twice and there hasn’t been a single sound from the room, though that’s barely concerning when he can hear the angel’s stable heartbeat through the door. He tells himself it can’t hurt to check and so he does, better safe than sorry after all.

He steps inside carefully, so as not to prompt the creaking of floorboards. In the back of his mind, he knows it shouldn’t matter since his steps are silent by nature and he’s supposed to be waking the angel anyway, but he ignores those faults in his logic and ventures further into the room. The angel is asleep and curled into the blankets, bare feet poking out of them and causing Hakyeon’s face to adorn a crooked frown. He debates pulling the blankets down further over his feet, but he was told not to touch Leo and he doesn’t know exactly how far those boundaries go, doesn't want to risk it.

He goes to squat next to the bed instead, so he’s eye level with the angel who is lying on his side. Leo is pretty, that much is obvious with him being an angel and all, but looking at him up close is borderline mesmerizing. His full eyelashes brush over his cheeks, looking impossibly delicate and beautiful, and he’s letting out steady breaths through slightly parted lips. It’s all endearing, from the small beauty mark under his right eye to the way his white hair fans over his forehead, though Hakyeon knows these aren’t things he should dwell on right now. 

Hakyeon sighs lightly and rests his cheek against his palm, trying to recount the long list of matters that have to be taken care of and failing. “What are you doing?” Leo asks, eyes still closed. Hakyeon nearly falls backward in shock, but catches himself just before his butt hits the hardwood floor.

“I didn’t know how to wake you,” Hakyeon tells him as he reclaims his position crouched next to the bed. Leo flutters his eyes open, but he doesn’t spare Hakyeon more than a glance as he sits up. He’s wearing one of Wonshik’s t-shirts, one that the younger vampire hasn’t worn in over 3 years, but was still reluctant to give up. It doesn’t suit the angel very well, it being black with intentional bleach stains, but it fits and that’s all Hakyeon supposes he can ask for right now. Hakyeon also notices that it’s not on backwards this time.

“Well, I’m up now,” the angel says with a tired huff as he flicks his hair out of his eyes with his pinkie. The angel’s lips are pursed slightly, as if he’s pouting, and Hakyeon holds back a chuckle at the cute action so out of place in the tension-filled room. He finally stands and moves to lean against the wall so as not to seem like he’s hovering and Leo quickly meets his eyes before looking away again.

“Good evening, Angel,” Hakyeon greets with a smile, though Leo’s attention is elsewhere.

“My name is Leo,” the angel informs for a second time, not any more convincing than the first time he said it. Hakyeon tenses, wondering if he actually hit a nerve with the thoughtless nickname, though Leo’s tone didn't read as angry or annoyed. If Hakyeon had to guess he’d say the angel seems anxious and, now that he’s actually listening, he can hear the angel’s quickening heart rate.

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Hakyeon says with the softest tone he can manage. He’s not trying to be predatory, he just wants to build trust. Don’t get Hakyeon wrong, he believes everyone is entitled to their secrets, but he thinks something as simple as a name should be okay. “Can you tell me your actual name?”

“I’d rather not,” the angel responds quietly, before adding, “It’s dangerous,” even more quietly, as if to explain. Hakyeon only nods, not even beginning to understand how something as simple as a name could bring harm to him, but recognizing that attempting to push further wouldn’t be good for either of them.

“Alright,” Hakyeon concedes, standing up off the wall. “You can stay in here if you like, but Wonshik and I will be out around the first floor. Feel free to come out,” he offers as he slowly makes his way towards the door. “Let me know if you need, or want, anything. I’ll do my best to get it for you.”

Leo scans Hakyeon with his eyes again, brows slightly furrowed and mouth pressed into a tight line. He obviously has questions, but he doesn’t ask, nor does he thank Hakyeon. So, Hakyeon simply slips through the door and leaves the angel alone.

“Everything good?” Wonshik asks, looking up from his phone. His phone dings in his hands and he looks down, letting out a small chuckle.

“Yeah,” Hakyeon mumbles. He glances back to the door the angel is hidden behind with a deep breath before heading to the quiet kitchen to make some calls, unanswered questions dead on his tongue.

 

A few hours later and Hakyeon has moved back into the living room and made a considerable amount of progress. He called Minhyuk, his friend and business partner, and made an appointment to send Wonshik over to the feeder house the following night. Wonshik is currently fine, but Hakyeon worries, especially with a pulse in the house now. Plus, it’ll probably do Wonshik some good to get out of the house. Hakyeon knows Wonshik hasn’t been spending time outside for any good reason, so he hopes hanging out with other vampires and feeding will be enough to settle him down for a while.

Hakyeon also ordered some new bedding online, better furniture for the guest room, new lighting fixtures, and a headboard and such. It wasn’t necessarily what Hakyeon planned on doing, but there was a good deal and it beats scanning random Wikipedia pages that mention angels. It was expensive, but when you’ve been around as long as Hakyeon and you’re as intelligent as he is, money isn’t really a problem.

He tried to take care of the clothing situation as well, but Hongbin still hasn’t gotten back to him. It’s not that surprising, Hongbin could be with a client or working on designs, but Hakyeon doubts there is such a valid explanation. It’s more likely that he and Sanghyuk are lazing around in their weirdly elegant loungewear and hate-watching dramas. Hakyeon wonders if they have any clients besides him, Wonshik, and Minhyuk anymore, not that it even would matter with how much money they charge for their services.

He sighs and sinks further into the couch as he picks up his phone, trying to a will a text back into existence. Surprisingly, it works, and Hakyeon pats himself on the back, blatantly taking credit for the coincidence. He opens the message with a foolishly hopeful heart, but is expectedly unsatisfied. It’s a selfie, courtesy of Sanghyuk, showcasing his annoyingly adorable smile and the way Hongbin is passed out against the younger’s chest. The message reads, ‘very busy tonight !! absolutely fuck off !!’.

“Are you kidding me?” Hakyeon sighs, again, as he drops his phone to his side. He raises his hands to the keyboard of his laptop and begins typing to search for other local designers, as if there will be any in the small town they live in.

“What’s wrong?” Wonshik asks as he not-so-subtly moves his feet to rest on Hakyeon’s legs. Hakyeon slaps at them, earning a huff from Wonshik, and blindly grabs for his phone that apparently fell down the side of the couch. He displays the message to Wonshik, who immediately breaks out in laughter.  

“You’re my child and this is the respect I get?” Hakyeon scoffs, only half kidding. He flings his phone onto a plush chair a few feet away from the couch and pathetically watches as it bounces off then onto the floor under the coffee table. Somehow, this is the most stressful part of his night. He ignores the way Wonshik begins to laugh harder at his despair and moves off the couch to retrieve his precious phone.

“Fuck,” Wonshik breathes out after a minute, wiping the joyful tears from his eyes. Hakyeon looks away in his bitterness and leans down to reach under the coffee table.

This isn’t what he was planning to do tonight. He was planning to get stuff done, maybe talk to the angel about how much he knows about the human realm so he knows what they’ll have to catch him up on. Instead, here he is being teased by two literal demons and his own child. What has become of him? His maker would be so disappointed.

“Fuck?” comes a faint, but familiar voice. Hakyeon leans up quickly, bashing his head into the bottom of the coffee table as he does, and looks to Leo who has, apparently, ventured out of the bedroom.

“Don’t say that,” Hakyeon blurts out with wide eyes. The angel’s expression soon matches his own, which prompts the vampire to stupidly add, “Isn’t that a sin or something? Won’t you fall?”

Leo parts his lips to speak, but says nothing. Instead, he looks away from Hakyeon and lets out a sigh. “You really know nothing,” he says, tone lacking any bite. “Falling doesn’t work like that. It hasn’t for a long while.”

“How does it work then?” Hakyeon asks, still kneeling on the floor. The angel looks down to him with his sharp eyes and huffs. Then, before any other words can be exchanged he turns around and enters the guest room once again. He doesn’t slam the door behind him, nor does he stomp, just kind of slumps his shoulders and lowers his head as he leaves the room.

Hakyeon frowns, finding his eyes lingering on the dark oak door once again. It hurts him more than one would think it would. He wants the angel to trust him so badly, wants to help Leo, but expecting that so soon seems to be a tall order. He can spend all the money he wants, provide material items and teach him a few things, but in the end Leo wants to go home and Hakyeon knows nothing about that. Maybe he was too quick to talk last night, Leo isn’t the only one who has things to learn. Hakyeon’s knowledge of angels is seriously lacking and he’s not quite sure how to bridge that gap. He has done the googling, but there’s nothing solid, all rumors or myths or stories specific to religion. At this point, he’d be better off asking a member of Council, though he never actually would.

“Yikes,” Wonshik comments, adding to Hakyeon’s feeling of despondency.

 

The angel doesn’t come out of the room again after that, so, with heavy shoulders, Hakyeon heads to his own room to sleep. Something has to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m starting a petition to let Taekwoon say fuck


	4. Night 3- Mending and Sewing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual forgive typos and enjoy

\------

   

Hakyeon wakes Wonshik up early, after dusk, but still earlier than usual. The younger vampire grumbles and tries to hide under the blankets, pulling them over his head and maintaining a tight grip, but before long Hakyeon wrangles him out of bed. He narrowly escapes to his bathroom, Hakyeon chastising him all the while, and doesn’t feel the least bit bad when he shuts the door in the elder vampire’s face.

Wonshik is aware he has an appointment at the feeder house tonight, he knows the car is coming for him in less than two hours, and he knows they have appearances to uphold, yet Hakyeon still feels the need to reiterate all this to him through the bathroom door as he tries to focus on brushing his fangs. Wonshik knows that Hakyeon is just misplacing his anxiety and he should really be understanding, but it’s difficult _not_ to be annoyed.

When he exits the bathroom Hakyeon follows him, again, to his closet and hovers behind him as he picks an outfit, even mumbles comments while Wonshik tries to find a proper shirt to wear. He can deal with all of this, but when Hakyeon grabs his eyeliner pencil out of his hand in to attempt to fix a mistake the younger made, he snaps.

“Oh my god, Hakyeon, what are you doing?” Wonshik asks with a raised voice. Hakyeon flinches and makes eye contact with the other vampire in the reflection of the mirror. The elder’s expression quickly turns from shocked to apologetic as he looks at Wonshik, unintentionally making the younger feel bad already. “It’s only been 2 nights, Hakyeon. If it’s too much for you then maybe you should send him out,” he suggests, voice still rough.

Hakyeon lets out an exasperated scoff and takes a step back, anxiously twiddling the pencil eyeliner between his fingers. “I’m not doing that,” Hakyeon tells him, tone softer than Wonshik had anticipated. “I have to talk to him tonight so I don’t continue fumbling with him, but I need him to trust me to tell me certain things. It’s complicated, Shik, but I’m trying to figure things out before they get worse.”

“Oh,” Wonshik lets out intelligently, shrinking in his seat. Wonshik thinks he’s a bit dumb when it comes to these things, relationships. He knows enough to admit it, he could easily be considered emotionally constipated. So, he hadn’t even considered the emotional aspects of this situation until now. He thought about the danger and the awkward tension to come with it, but he hadn’t really stopped to think about how Hakyeon or the angel might feel, how that relationship would come to fruition. He sighs, silently cursing himself for not thinking things through. “Sorry,” he frowns, but Hakyeon just shakes his head and steps closer again.

“It’s okay,” Hakyeon hums as he wraps his arms loosely around Wonshik’s neck and rests his chin on the younger’s head. Wonshik grabs one of Hakyeon’s tanned hands, giving it a quick squeeze before releasing it in favor of snatching the pencil eyeliner from the other. “I guess I’ll let you do your makeup,” Hakyeon says with a light laugh as he frees Wonshik from his grip. “I love you, Shik.”

“I love you too, Mom,” Wonshik responds, earning him a slap on the shoulder. A part of him is strangely happy that Hakyeon is relaxed enough to do such a thing.

“The car is coming for you at-”

“At 11:30, I know,” Wonshik cuts him off, earning an eye roll from Hakyeon before he leaves the room.

 

———

 

“Hey, shut my door!” Hakyeon hears Wonshik yell from behind him, but still takes a few more steps forward before fully convincing himself to turn around.

After giving Wonshik a sarcastic smile and closing his door, he sighs to himself. His footsteps grow slower as he crosses the living room, hesitantly approaching the door to the guest room. He knows he should make sure the angel is awake, just as he had the night before, but the weight of his plans to force a conversation with the angel is weighing heavily on his shoulders. He was thinking about it last night, when the sunlight started leaking in through the slit in the curtains and sleep still wasn’t coming to him despite the Call of the Sun. He figures, with it being 2 nights after discovering the angel and 6 in the morning, it wasn’t the best time to step back and evaluate the situation, but better late than never he supposes.

It’s obvious that Leo doesn’t enjoy talking about himself, didn’t really give up any other information besides the fact that he didn’t mean to come to the human realm and doesn’t want to stay. Hakyeon gets it, probably wouldn’t be willing to give up information about himself and where he comes from if their roles were reversed, but no progress can be made like this. That much is obvious already. The angel hasn’t ended the night on a good note since he showed up and it was Hakyeon’s fault each time. At the very least, Hakyeon needs to know what topics he can’t bring up.

Thinking about all of this, Hakyeon takes a deep breath and raises his fist to the door. He knocks only a few times and not very loudly, so it’s no surprise that he doesn’t get a response. The angel’s heartbeat is stable, just as it was the night prior, and there aren’t really any other audible sounds from beyond the door, so it’s safe to assume that Leo is still asleep.

Again, recalling the events from the night prior, he fights his urge to move closer and instead chooses to stand awkwardly in the room a little over a foot away from the bed. In a weak attempt to wake Leo, he clears his throat, but this does very little. The angel merely lifts his head the tiniest bit and turns to face the other way, still in a relatively deep sleep. Hakyeon takes a single step closer and repeats the action, feeling more awkward now than he has in probably a century. This time, the angel is completely unbothered, not even flinching at the noise.

Without warning, Wonshik shouts from just outside the room, “Hey, Minhyuk called and said his driver overslept so he’ll be here at midnight instead.” Hakyeon responds with a noncommittal noise, too focused on the sound of sheets rustling behind him to give any real response. He looks back to the bed.

Evidently, Wonshik yelling through the door was enough to wake Leo, who is now pushing himself up to a sitting position with eyes barely open. His hair is sticking up in the back and he has lines on his face from the pillowcase being wrinkled underneath him, but he still manages to look beautiful. If Hakyeon were a little more bitter he’d call it unfair.

“Hakyeon?” Wonshik calls again with a tense tone.

“Okay, okay, that’s fine,” Hakyeon tells him with a hushed yell, if a yell could be hushed. This seems to satisfy the other vampire because it’s silent after that, leaving Hakyeon to focus on Leo again.

The angel is looking at him now, eyes narrowed in a way that would seem threatening if his face wasn’t so puffy from sleep. “Good evening, Angel,” he greets, trying to convey warmth. Leo only grunts at this and pulls the blankets up to his clothed shoulders. “You must be tired,” Hakyeon says simply, trying to think of a way to ease into conversation naturally rather than completely springing it up on him. He can already tell it’s not going to be easy, but if he doesn’t at least try then he fears he’ll regret it. “Is adjusting to the nocturnal schedule difficult?”

“It’s fine,” the angel responds curtly. At least he got a response, Hakyeon thinks.

Hakyeon hums and moves towards the bed, forcibly willing his nerves away with each silent step. “Can I sit?” he asks, pointing the foot of the bed, “I won’t touch you.”

To Hakyeon’s shock and joy, the angel offers a nod as he scrunches his legs up to his chest.

Hakyeon tries not to let his surprise show in his expression and scoots onto the bed, facing the white-haired male on the opposite side of the bed. A few seconds of relative silence and shaky hands pass before Hakyeon balls his fists in his pockets and musters the courage to speak up again. Shifting awkwardly in his seat, he says, “You know, I don’t intend to make you uncomfortable, but I’m sorry if I do. I know this situation will take a while to get used to, if you even can get used to it, but I feel like if we actually talk to each other it may help speed up the process. Does that make sense to you?”

Leo purses his lips and breathes out heavily through his nose before speaking, “Yes, but there are some things I don’t want to discuss with a vampire.” _Oh_ , Hakyeon thinks sadly, so that is the dividing factor. Leo is an angel, a creature of purity and light, the mascot of innocence and morals. Why would he, of all creatures, want anything to do with Hakyeon, a creature with killing ingrained into the fiber of its being? It was out of necessity that he created a temporary home here, not a choice he happily made. For some reason, instead of being offended, Hakyeon feels apologetic. It was him that coaxed the angel into staying after all.

“That’s okay,” Hakyeon tells him, forcing a small smile and nodding, “Tell me whatever you’re comfortable with, Angel. I want to learn what I can as long as it helps you. Tell me everything you can, what you like and don’t like.”

The angel looks up, staring at the vampire like he’s trying to figure him out. Hakyeon is confused and insanely curious as to what is going on inside the angel’s head, but doesn’t prod further. He allows Leo to take his time before answering. He is asking a lot of the angel already. The fact that Leo even considered it and _agreed_ has Hakyeon unnecessarily happy, so, if the other decides to put it on hold for a little longer he will still count it as progress.

“Leo isn’t my real name, but there are reasons I can’t tell you my real name,” the angel explains, fidgeting with his fingers in front of him and glancing up to Hakyeon for only a second. Hakyeon only nods and hums, quietly encouraging the other to continue. Anyway, this information is no real shock to him as Leo has already said this before. “I don’t trust you really,” the angel states and, again, it’s not really a shock to Hakyeon. It is disappointing though. “I don’t want to talk about Heaven with you and I don’t want you to touch me. I don’t really know what you want to know,” Leo finishes with a seemingly frustrated huff.

“That’s- That’s okay,” Hakyeon assures him, again, smile less forced now. This much is okay, more than he expected, so he doesn’t mind ending things here. He has extended the olive branch to Leo, he only hopes the angel sees it that way, an olive branch instead of a Trojan horse. To further drive his point, he offers, “Do you want to know anything about me, or about anything really? I’m supposed to be teaching you about this realm anyway.”

“Why are you doing all of this?” Leo questions.

“What do you mean?” Hakyeon asks, genuinely curious and considerably concerned about the vague question. Not for the first time, he’s left worried about potentially having offended the angel.

“Helping me,” Leo elaborates, though it doesn’t do much to help Hakyeon understand. He figures the angel means this in the sense that Hakyeon is supposed to be evil, being a vampire and all.

“Vampires aren’t all bad,” he explains softly, “Some are bad, just power hungry, but I know more that are good. They’re as morally upright as they can be anyway.”

“That’s not what I mean,” the other insists, shaking his head as he looks down to the blanket again. “Ignoring what you are, why would you help me? I can’t give you anything. I can’t do anything for you in return.”

The questions leave a bad taste in Hakyeon’s mouth, bitter as the blood of a man who enjoyed too much red wine. He still doesn’t completely understand what the angel means. Hakyeon thinks he has shown enough that he doesn’t have ulterior motives, doesn’t want anything from Leo, so, unless the angel is completely suspicious of him he has no reason to ask these questions. The raven-haired vampire has given all he can as of right now and he’s still trying to do more without asking for much besides whatever information Leo’s willing to give.

Suddenly, and probably after too long, it clicks for Hakyeon. He recalls the first night when the angel seemed confused at the mention of empathy. Hakyeon figured the other just thought vampires were some kind of purely malevolent creature. That’s what the vampire was referring to when he said the other had a lot to learn. Now though, it seems as if Leo doesn’t even know what empathy is.

Hakyeon has connected the dots, but it just doesn’t seem probable. How could an angel not know what empathy is?

“Angel,” Hakyeon starts, still trying to figure out how to explain, if he’s even able to explain in a way that Leo will understand, “If someone is hurting or struggling, you help them, right? You help them because you feel bad and want them to get better. Isn’t it simple?”

The angel doesn’t answer, or even give the impression that he’s formulating a response. He just blinks at Hakyeon, eyes large and attentive, as if the vampire is telling him about some interesting, foreign concept. Hakyeon can’t believe the information that was just brought to his attention, can barely even fathom it.

Hakyeon’s knowledge of angels is just as good as any other non-religious person’s, maybe a little more if he’s to count the baseless information that a lot of demons spew and the little he inherited when he first turned. He knows they’re the children of gods though, or something like that. They’re supposed to be just, kind, and, most of all, empathetic. Perhaps this angel was part of some kind of experiment and that’s how he ended up here, but he looks completely ordinary-- ordinary for what Hakyeon imagines angels are supposed to look like at least. He’s just confused. Vampires aren’t supposed to teach angels what empathy is, everything in history and nature is against that idea.

Hakyeon clears his throat. “Anyway, I want to help you because I want to see you improve according to your circumstances, whether that means you walking out of here with a better understanding of this realm or you finding a way to get back to Heaven. I’m doing this because I care about you. I want to protect you without expecting anything in return, if that makes sense,” he rambles with an underwhelming finish. Leo looks like he’s trying to understand, eyes boring into Hakyeon’s and nodding so lightly that the vampire would have missed it if he weren’t paying so much attention. “We can, uh, end this here for tonight,” he says, needing time to get his own thoughts together, “I’ll be in my room, but I’ll listen for my name. I’ll be able to hear it even if you just say it from here. Call me if you need anything or just come out. Wonshik is leaving so,” he trails off unintelligibly.

He finally stands up off the bed and nearly stumbles, legs having fallen asleep and mind still foggy from their conversation. He catches himself as he always does though, and heads to the door without any more words to say.

The knob is cool under his touch, but no colder than the ice in his veins when he hears the angel’s voice from behind him, whispering his name.

“Hakyeon.”

“Yes?” the vampire prompts, dramatically looking over his shoulder despite it being easier for him to simply turn around.

“It gets uncomfortable for me to shift my wings away for so long. It would be better if the backs to tops were open or cut out,” he says timidly, heart beating faster now and eyes unable to focus on one spot.

“I’ll have something made as soon as I can. It will a take a few days at least, so we can cut shirts until then,” he says, positively beaming now. He doesn’t think he’s ever been so pleased with being asked for a favor. He knows reading into it will only drive him crazy in the long run, but he can’t help it. This is the first time the angel has outright asked for anything from Hakyeon, and the vampire can’t help being enthralled with the implications behind it. Hakyeon couldn’t be happier as he leaves the room, gently pulling the door to close with a delighted giggle.

Figuratively, if they have to move a mile, Leo only moved a foot, but that’s still 12 inches.

 

He hears Wonshik’s voice telling him he’s leaving, but it’s weirdly distant. His mind is still clouded with anxiety and questions. Beyond Leo never feeling empathetic himself, have others never extended a hand to help him in times of need? He didn’t even seem to understand the concept, though Hakyeon chooses to believe the angel wants to understand. Sure, Angels abandoned humans all those years ago, but that was to save humans, not out of heartlessness, right? There is nothing to prove they aren’t compassionate creatures besides Leo’s existence and his knowledge, or rather lack thereof.

Though the numbers are small, Hakyeon knows a fraction of demonic creatures who commend angels for their purity. He recalls a time when his incubus friend and assistant of his personal designer, Sanghyuk, stated, “Cheers to angels for being so good. If the world had a scale I imagine the existence of like 6 of ‘em would balance out what I’m about to do,” before downing a shot and following an arguably attractive male out onto the dancefloor. He doubts that even counts in this situation, but it’s still something.

Empathy is a large part of what makes people, or creatures, good. How could angels not have it? How many times has Leo suffered alone because of this? How hard must it be to ask for help in a world where others only care about themselves?

Hakyeon groans and leans back in his chair, running his hands through his hair in frustration. To think that such brutal creatures are worshipped is annoying, but he figures that’s quite a bold statement coming from a vampire of all things. Still, to think that the shy angel with such a willful heart could have been hurt because of this is even more aggravating. This experience is turning out to be more than he signed up for, but what else can he do now besides show the angel all the love in the world?

 

He manages to shut off his overworking brain and lose himself in a drama, something he’s gotten too good at in the past few years. It’s overwhelmingly normal and Hakyeon would be lying if he said he didn’t cherish that fact. A cheesy, cliche drama is precisely what he needs right now and every extra camera angle and slow-mo shot only adds to his peace of mind.

That is, until he hears his name spoken in a soft voice. He pauses his show, not willing to miss the chairwoman’s words about her son’s relationship with a commoner, but also not wanting to miss Leo summoning him. He listens closer, honing in on the angel’s heart rate and the way it’s beating a little faster than normal, and sits up. “Hakyeon,” the angel repeats, voice barely above a whisper.

He rushes to his feet, dropping the remote and momentarily stopping to make sure no buttons were unintentionally pressed. When he’s sure that his drama is safely paused, he practically runs to the door of the guest room. He opens it without bothering to knock and peeks his head in, as if that’s any less intrusive than just walking in. “What do you need, Angel?” he asks.

“Can we start cutting those shirts now?” Leo requests with his head tilted to this side, a mirror of the vampire’s actions, but impossibly cuter.

   

Not too long later, they regroup on the floor of Hakyeon’s room. The angel hesitated for a moment before entering, but followed him in without any verbal complaint. Hakyeon figures they could have done this in the living room, but after the first night with the angel, he learned that sitting on the carpet in the living room is just as good as sitting on concrete. Plus, they’ll have to hem the edges and the sewing kit is in his room anyway.

He sits across from the angel and places the small sewing kit next to the pile of clothes. “I won’t touch the collar. I’ll just cut a sort of triangle out of the back so it doesn’t look _too_ weird,” he explains as picks a black shirt out of the pile. He sees the angel nod out of the corner of his eye and deems it enough, so he turns his attention to cutting up the shirt before attempting to thread a needle. Even as a vampire, all of his senses incredibly enhanced and having the ability to be scarily still, it proves to be a difficult task. He thinks it would have helped if he learned to sew earlier in life, but he never saw how it was necessary and, when he actually needed to mend something, he only got a quick tutorial from Hongbin over facetime.

He finally slips the dainty thread through the hole, but gets too excited too quickly and it slips right out. He sighs, cursing himself out in his mind.

“Here,” Leo cuts through the vampire’s frustration with a light tone, prompting Hakyeon to look up again. The angel is holding a neatly threaded needle to out him, fingertips placed at the very tip of the sharp end, as far from Hakyeon as can be.

The vampire’s unbeating heart swells at the small gesture. Maybe the angel really wants to understand, Hakyeon thinks with a smile. He takes the needle, ever so careful not to meet the angel’s fingers or accidentally prick them. “Thank you,” he grins.

“You’re welcome,” Leo responds, voice strangely coarser than it was just a few moments ago. Hakyeon doesn’t comment because he can only imagine how weird it feels to the angel. He just contentedly hums as he runs the needle through the folded fabric, thankful for the show of effort that he couldn’t have predicted if he tried. “Did I do it right?” comes the angel’s still coarse voice.

“Threading the needle? Yeah, thank you,” he responds, not bothering to look up.

“No, empathy,” Leo clarifies, surprising Hakyeon so much he stabs into his finger.

He barely even feels it, too wrapped up in the almost hopeful look in the angel’s eyes and the nervous twitch of his lips. It’s almost sad how anxious Leo, an angel, is to have done something kind, but Hakyeon thinks that, just for now, he can ignore his frustrations and flash a warm smile at the other male. “You did well, Angel. You did so well,” he reassures.

Leo’s lips part, but whether it be his words or train of thought, both are quickly abandoned. He lets out a deep exhale and grabs a shirt from the pile, reaching for the scissors with shaky hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> owo what’s this ? character development


	5. Night 4- Piano Keys to Your Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let’s pretend I didn’t forget to post this yesterday

 

Hakyeon wakes up to the sound of a chaotic melody being played on the piano upstairs. He can’t say it’s all that surprising considering the events that transpired during the day. 

Wonshik came home late, barely half an hour before the sun was supposed to rise, which Hakyeon would have scolded him about had the younger vampire let him get a word in. He rambled on about his trip to the feeder house and whatever else he felt like talking about even after the sun had set. Hakyeon is pretty sure his child spoke for a full 10 minutes about Jaehwan’s smile, though he didn’t point it out to the younger. He just nodded and laughed along, then apologized for laughing when Wonshik took offense to that on behalf of the human.

Wonshik has always been very energetic after feeding, that newborn effect never really wore off for him, and would get random rushes of inspiration, or so he said. Hakyeon just thinks those ideas are the types of things your mind discards when have time to actually think about it, but he’d never say that to Wonshik and crush his spirit like that. This time, Wonshik wanted to pursue music again, much like he had many times in the past. The younger vampire is actually quite talented and Hakyeon thinks he’d do well in the modern music industry, if he were still human that is.

Hakyeon followed the vampire when he bounded up the stairs, if only to humor him for a little while longer, and dusted the often empty piano room as the other worked out some rough melodies. He almost finished cleaning the room too, but the way the Call of the Sun was making him feel like there was something buzzing, almost burning, under his skin was quickly becoming unbearable and Wonshik’s question stole the rest of his energy from him. 

They were pondering composers, as one does at 7 AM on a Wednesday, and suddenly the other male asked him if he knew Tchaikovsky. Hakyeon is usually annoyed by these questions because Wonshik and Jaehwan feel the need to ask about every long dead celebrity, but they annoy him even more when he actually did know them. So, Hakyeon, at his breaking point, shook his head instead of telling the younger about his brief romantic relationship with the composer before heading back downstairs. 

In short, it was a long night, day. 

Now, Hakyeon wants nothing more than to enjoy the small amount of me-time he usually gets in the evening when Wonshik and their new resident angel are fast asleep, but he has to go shut Wonshik up before he wakes Leo too. It’s much earlier than he has been waking the angel and Hakyeon would say that the night prior must have been hard on him as well. The angel could probably use extra sleep as opposed to less, so Hakyeon rips the covers off of himself and ventures out of his warm, cozy bed. 

He listens closely as he passes the angel’s room and smiles to himself when he hears nothing but Leo’s calm, steady heartbeat. Though, the smile quickly fades with each step up the stairs. 

“Good evening,” he greets from the doorway, his long mastered ‘disapproving mother‘ look already directed at Wonshik. Wonshik looks up for only half a second before focusing on the piano keys again, barely acknowledging the elder’s presence. “Wonshik,” he prompts, letting his fatigue come through in his tone. The younger huffs and moves his hands to his lap, finally looking up to Hakyeon. “There are people trying to sleep.”

“People?” Wonshik raises a brow.

“Shik,” the elder sighs.

“I only started playing a little bit ago and you’d be waking up soon anyway. I didn’t think it’d be a big deal,” he explains nonchalantly. Hakyeon can tell by angle of his lips that the other vampire isn’t actually trying to be mischievous or annoying, so Hakyeon only sighs instead of berating him like he wants to. He moves towards the piano and towards his stupid, but preciously innocent, child to explain that they’re not alone in this house anymore. 

“Wonshik,” he starts, placing a hand on the younger’s shoulder as he looks down to him. 

“Here we go,” Wonshik groans as he leans down to rest his elbow on the keys and his chin in the palm of his hand, uncaring about the ruckus now coming the piano. “Your lecture, go on,” he nods, trouble in his grin. There’s the mischevy, Hakyeon thinks dolefully. 

“I was just going to tell you that I’m not the only one you’re capable of bothering now and I’d like it if you were more conscious of Leo. This is hard on him too,” he tells Wonshik after delivering a strong pinch to his bicep. He knows that he lectures Wonshik too much  _ probably _ , hence the the younger’s equally knowing and dreadful reaction, but that’s just his job. It’s not that Wonshik is an idiot, he’s just a bit clumsy where others are involved. Hakyeon only nags him because he cares and he knows Wonshik sees that, even if the younger deflects with a joke or teasing comment. 

“You let me play at dawn,” Wonshik retorts now that the piano as grown silent. Hakyeon nods with a sigh. 

“Indeed, but I shouldn’t have. You can play in an hour or so. It was a long night for Leo, I think. He needs rest.”

“So, you guys talked?” 

“I-Yeah,” Hakyeon stumbles, not sure of whether or not he should go into detail. The conversation, or rather all of last night, was  _ a lot _ , even for Hakyeon and he’d rather not go around spewing the specifics of the angel’s inner turmoil. It’s not like he knows much anyway and, besides, Wonshik was probably only looking for reassurance anyway. “We talked a bit. Adjusting to this is difficult, but things are fine.”

“That’s good,” Wonshik says quietly before perking up with, “Can I go to Jaehwan’s?”

“I thought you wanted to play the piano,” Hakyeon huffs out a tired laugh. 

“I don’t feel like waiting and Jaehwan was upset that I didn’t stop to see him when I went out last night. He told me to tell you that he’s going to put a curse on you if you continue keeping me on a leash like you are,” the younger explains with a flick to the tiny patch of exposed skin on Hakyeon’s hip. Hakyeon rolls his eyes and pulls his shirt down, realizing much too late that his shirt must have shrunk in the wash and that his selection of clothing has considerably downsized. He retaliates with a flick to Wonshik’s forehead, but the other doesn’t react to it and just repeats his previous question, “So, can I?”

“Get a ride,” is all the elder can say as he looks into Wonshik’s hopeful puppy dog eyes. Jaehwan must be teaching this fool a few of his tricks, Hakyeon thinks as he watches the younger practically skip out the door. He just hopes Wonshik spends his time with Jaehwan well, because with the way things are going it seems like there won’t be as much of it as he’d like, _ but  _ that problem just has to wait a few more months. Before easing Wonshik into acknowledging his own painfully obvious feelings for a human, Hakyeon has to teach an angel what empathy is, as well as so many other things. 

  
  
  


A light voice interrupts his shower not too much later, catching him off guard and causing him to just barely avoid getting shampoo in his eyes. It’s Leo’s of course, speaking to Hakyeon from the guest room. “Hakyeon,” he starts quietly, “You don’t have to come in and wake me.” 

Hakyeon doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or worried about this. Had Leo said it because he’s still trying to be empathetic and didn’t want to make Hakyeon go out of his way, or had he said it because waking up to the vampire is bothersome? He wonders if it even matters considering what that sweet little call must mean.

Leo trusts him, even if it’s the most miniscule amount of trust, the angel trusts him. The white haired male trusted that Hakyeon was listening for him, as he was, and didn’t ask for any kind of confirmation that the vampire heard or anything of the like. Leo simply called for the vampire as he was told to, and didn’t second guess the fact that Hakyeon would be listening. 

Perhaps they’re moving quicker than Hakyeon had first thought, or maybe he just underestimated things. Leo just needs some pushing in the right direction, Hakyeon thinks, already pondering ways to show the angel he’s trustworthy. He thinks Wonshik would just tell him to hand the angel a knife and chuckles to himself in the otherwise quiet shower. 

 

He’s not expecting to hear the angel’s voice calling for him again so soon, or at all really, but it comes again as he’s getting dressed in his own room. He hurriedly slips his sweater over his head and listens closer, waiting to see if the angel will continue like he had earlier or is simply beckoning him to the guest room. A few silent moments pass and the angel doesn’t speak again, so the vampire starts out of his room.

He opens the door slowly, giving the angel a little time just in case he hadn’t expected the vampire to walk right in. The angel follows him with his eyes as he enters the room and leans against the wall next to the door. “Good evening, Angel,” he greets, familiar and warm. 

Leo nods from his spot on the bed, large wings spread out behind him. The curtains are open slightly, allowing for the moonlight to shine in through the curtains and reflect off of the angel’s wings. It seems as if they glimmer, though its subtle and seems unfocused in a way, and Hakyeon can’t help but to think the angel was made for the night. It is beauty in the purest form.

“I heard a piano,” Leo starts, vague as he almost always is. Hakyeon is snapped out of his little daze by the comment and rips his eyes from the angel’s wings. 

“That was Wonshik,” Hakyeon clarifies, “I’m sorry if he bothered you. We are working on that.”

“I didn’t know there were pianos here,” the angel tells him, completely ignoring Hakyeon’s point. Hakyeon perks up anyway, interested by this new line of conversation. Could this be Leo opening up?

“Yeah, yeah, we have a piano room upstairs. Why? Do you play?” the vampire questions, a small leap of faith. 

“I did.”

“Would you like to again?”

“Yes,” Leo responds earnestly, sitting up straighter and looking to Hakyeon like he just offered him the world. The light in his eyes combined with the way his wings seem to shimmer prompt a small flutter in his chest that feels a lot like his heart beating. It’s impossible, he knows it is, but he still presses a hand over his chest to confirm. Of course, there’s nothing, but looking at Leo now he could believe if there was, if only for a second. “Where is it?” Leo asks, interrupting Hakyeon’s inner dilemma. 

“Oh, upstairs, I’ll take you.”

  
  


\------

 

When Wonshik opens the door to the house, it’s silent. He looks around, peeking into Hakyeon’s room and finding no one there. The door to the guest room has been left open and, when Wonshik musters the courage to step through the threshold, he finds no one there either. He would call out for Hakyeon, but the silence is quickly growing eerie and he’d rather not give away his location if there’s actually something dangerous in the house. 

He tip toes towards the stairs, though it’s not really necessary as vampires move silently by design, and listens for something on the second floor. There’s the quiet sound of a heartbeat that Wonshik identifies as Leo’s, but nothing else, and that doesn’t exactly ease the vampire’s nerves.

He moves upstairs, quickly and quietly, and stops just before the turn down the hallway. Just from the angel’s heartbeat he can tell where he is, stopped just outside the piano room and weirdly low to the ground. It could be that the echoey hallway is throwing him off, but he’s pretty sure he’s right. It worries him even more, his mind running through several possible scenarios and none of them being good. 

He makes a split second decision to step out, fangs bared in the case of a threat, and finds a scene he can’t explain. Hakyeon is sitting against the wall, fast asleep, strange enough as that is, but the angel’s presence makes it impossibly stranger. Leo is crouching a few feet away, eyes that were most likely focused on Hakyeon seconds prior widen when they move to Wonshik. Within a second the angel seems to regain control of his expression and narrows his eyes at Wonshik. The vampire would be lying if he were to say he isn’t a little intimidated, but Leo’s quickening heart rate makes things less scary. 

“What’s going on?” Wonshik questions despite his anxiety. He really can’t piece this situation together. He can’t think of a reason as to how Hakyeon ended up falling asleep on the floor in the upstairs hallway, nor can he put together why the angel was squatting next to the other. He isn’t really counting on an explanation either because the angel still isn’t speaking, just silently scanning Wonshik.

“I was playing piano. I found him out here when I came out,” the angel informs, adding to Wonshik’s surprise and confusion. 

“And you’ve just been sitting there?” Wonshik blurts out, not giving it much thought. The angel shifts then, hugging his knees tighter and letting out a breath. “Sorry,” Wonshik adds with a crooked frown. 

“I don’t think he wanted me to know he was listening,” Leo tells him quietly, eyes wandering back to the elder vampire’s head that’s hanging forward awkwardly. 

Wonshik still doesn’t quite understand the situation, but Hakyeon told him to be more considerate of the angel, so he figures questioning the creature isn’t the best idea at the moment. Instead, he takes into account the way the angel is observing Hakyeon so intently and the way he grew visibly uncomfortable when Wonshik called him out, then there’s the information that the angel just told him. Wonshik thinks he can just clean this up without much difficulty if it’d be too awkward for the two others to face each other after this. 

“You don’t want him to know you were watching him either?” Wonshik prompts, no teasing or bite in his tone. He’d rather have confirmation before he scoops Hakyeon up in his arms, discards him in his bed, and conjures up lies about how he got there. He’s willing to do the angel a favor, but he’s not going to do anything needlessly.

“I wasn’t watching him,” the angel insists with a huff.

“Were too,” the vampire retorts. Leo looks back up to him, even less threatening now that his lips are pursed to form a pout. “I can just take him downstairs and tell him I found him as you were still playing,” he offers, “It would only take a minute and he won’t suspect anything as long as you don’t bring it up. Want me to just do that?”

“I don’t have any reasons to trust you,” Leo tells him, wings coming to wrap around himself defensively. 

Wonshik raises his eyebrows at this, not that he should necessarily be surprised by Leo confronting him. He was slammed into a wall by the angel after all. Luckily enough for the angel, Wonshik is a simple vampire. He forgave, but didn’t forget, with a few pats on the head and reassuring words from Hakyeon. Though, unluckily for Wonshik, him being a simple vampire shrouded him from considering the possibility that the angel doesn’t see things the same way he does. 

Wonshik just shrugs as he says, “That’s true, but if I do this then you could have at least one.”

“Okay,” the angel concedes after a few seconds of hesitation. 

“Okay then,” the vampire responds, already stepping forward to pick up the elder vampire. “You should probably start playing again in case he wakes up. He’s not that dumb and we need the lie to be believable,” he instructs as he bends over to slip his arms beneath Hakyeon. He lifts him like he weighs nothing, mostly because that’s what it feels like to Wonshik anyway, and nods once in the direction of the piano room. 

“I’ll do that,” Leo assures quietly as he stands up. 

No more words are exchanged, not even a glance, since Leo seems to be paying more attention to Hakyeon’s cheek smushed against Wonshik’s chest in an unflattering way than the vampire doing him a favor. Wonshik doesn’t get it, so he just turns on his heel and carries his maker down to his room.

He lies Hakyeon on his bed gently, then pushes the hair out of his face with a touch that’s arguably less careful. Maybe it’s because he’s known Hakyeon for around 50 years, but, looking down at him now, he doesn’t see much worth staring at. He’s pretty, Wonshik will give him that, but he’s _ just _ pretty whereas Jaehwan is beautiful, stunning. Wonshik shrugs again and leaves the room, pulling his phone out to text his human best friend about the black cat he saw out the window on the drive home.


	6. Night 5- Red

Wonshik hears his name being called distantly, but he pays no attention to the sound. He instead focuses on the hand on his shoulder and smiles, looking at Jaehwan again. The human is standing in front of him, smiling brightly as his hands rest on Wonshik’s shoulders. There’s a sparkle both in the man’s eyes and the light bouncing off the gloss on his lips. It’s distracting, throws him off balance and, before he realizes it himself he’s leaning in, eyes closed and lips puckered.

All of a sudden, he receives a hit to the neck and blinks his eyes open, though now he’s facing Hakyeon instead of Jaehwan. He blinks a few times, confused as to why he’s suddenly getting chopped in the neck by the elder vampire’s hand instead of immersed in a dreamlike scenari- _Oh._

“Ow, ow,” Wonshik sits up with a groan when Hakyeon doesn’t quit. “What? What do you want?”

“First of all, you just tried to kiss me so we will talk about that later and-”

“Ew, I wasn’t trying to kiss you. I was dreaming,” the younger clarifies, but regrets it half a second later. Hakyeon finally moves his hand from the side of Wonshik’s neck to place it on his own hip, opening his mouth to say something that Wonshik already knows he won’t like. “Shut up,” Wonshik spits out before Hakyeon can speak. “Tell me what you want or I’m going back to sleep.”

“Was I in bed when you got home last night?” Hakyeon asks, piquing Wonshik’s interest. He hides his smile behind a yawn.

“No,” Wonshik tells him flatly as he rubs his tired eyes, “Got home and couldn’t find you, but I heard the piano so I went upstairs. You were passed out in the hallway and I just thought it was weird so I brought you down here.”

Hakyeon breathes out a relieved sigh and reaches out to cup Wonshik’s face. His grip is a bit clumsy and rough, but not enough to hurt, and he pulls the younger’s head towards him as he leans in to kiss him on the forehead. “Thank you, Shik, my beautiful child,” Hakyeon smiles and he releases him.

Wonshik pulls away with a huff, but doesn’t say anything in protest. Hakyeon turns and begins to practically skip out of the door, ignoring Wonshik as he begins to yell, “Wait, Why? Hakyeon!”

The elder doesn’t even glance back at him as he bounds out the door, shutting Wonshik in his room alone. He sighs to himself, disappointed that he couldn’t at least get the gossip.

 

\-------

 

Hakyeon silently thanks whatever gods exist, and Wonshik, for the fact that Leo didn’t find him sitting outside the door. The angel never told him that he couldn’t listen, but he also didn’t start playing until after the vampire left the room, which is good enough a sign for Hakyeon. Hakyeon meant to give him his privacy, but after hearing only a few notes, he couldn’t force himself down the stairs. He sat down outside the door, legs crossed and back resting against the old wallpaper, and he just listened. Even as old and wise as he is, curiosity still manages to get the better of him at times.

Leo’s songs were emotional, sweet until they weren’t and almost brought the vampire to tears. He doesn’t know when or how he managed to doze off during such a beautiful performance by a literal angel, but apparently, he did. He obviously needed the rest, seeing as he slept through some of the night and all of the day, but he still worries about having missed Leo if the angel called for him.

His previous worries are forced to a halt when his phone dings and he pulls it out of his pocket to see a text from Minhyuk. It’s inconspicuous in itself, just a text telling him that his packages are ready to be either picked up or delivered, but that proves troublesome. “Nearly 300 years old and I’m still doing stupid shit,” he whispers to himself, wondering how he managed to completely overlook how he’d retrieve the things he ordered.

Getting things delivered to the feeder house instead of his own home is standard procedure since some of the humans there are employed to do day work, are there specifically to open doors and greet slightly intimidated mailmen. Normally, after the package has been delivered, they’d just send a truck to Hakyeon’s house at night, but guests aren’t a viable option right now. They’d obviously send vampires since their strength is _enhanced,_ to say the least, but, even with a silence charm, it’d be risky to have anyone else in the house with the angel. He could send Wonshik to retrieve the packages, but if the younger shows up again without Hakyeon then Minhyuk may get suspicious, if not worried, and that would just create more problems. Hakyeon must go himself.

“Hakyeon,” comes the angel’s voice, soft as ever. Hakyeon mutters a curse to himself and half hopes the angel is just informing him that he doesn’t need to be woken up again. The angel could never bother him, that’s not what this is, it’s just that Hakyeon hasn’t had any time to think about what he’s going to say. He hasn’t even texted Minhyuk back, which wouldn’t be a big deal if he hadn’t told his friend to just come over or send people if there was business to attend to. Then again, when he told Minhyuk that, he wasn’t hoarding an angel.

Much to Hakyeon’s dismay, the angel doesn’t speak again and just silently waits, so the vampire runs into his room to throw a shirt on while clumsily trying to text Minhyuk back. By the time he reaches the angel’s door he has sent a message to Minhyuk telling him that he’ll try to be over in an hour or so and he will let him know when he needs a car sent. Well, it says that if you see through the typos.

“Good evening, Angel,” he greets, feeling out of breath despite not having to breathe. “What did you need?” he asks, watching the angel walk out of the attached bathroom with wet hair dripping down to dampen the collar of his shirt. He’s wearing of Hakyeon’s shirts tonight, a silk button up with a deep red tone that compliments his pale skin nicely instead of washing him out. It looks better on the angel than it ever did on him, but he supposes that’s to be expected of a such a creature.

“The piano,” he says quietly, twiddling his fingers, “I want to play again.” The look in his eyes now is similar to the night previous, earnest and hoping. He wants to quickly tell Leo that, of course, he can use the piano anytime he wants as he lives in this house now too, but it’s hard to find the words right now. Leo is looking at him like he holds the sun in his hands and it’s hard to think past it.

“Oh- I- Yeah, of course,” Hakyeon stutters, doing a better job of embarrassing himself than being any real help to Leo. He looks away from the angel and takes a breath, out of habit rather than necessity. “This house, it’s yours now too. You can go wherever you like whenever you like. You just, you can’t leave. It’s dangerous for everyone else as much as it is for you,” he explains.

He figures that is as good a segway as any to get to the point of telling Leo that he has to leave. It’s possible the angel won’t even care, but he has a bad feeling about it. He can’t say he and Leo are best friends, but they’ve built _something,_ a foundation, and Hakyeon fears that leaving him now will put a crack in that. Still, avoiding the feeder house isn’t an option.

“I actually have to discuss something with you,” Hakyeon tells him. Leo just stares to him, waiting for the vampire to elaborate, so Hakyeon clears his throat. “There is something I have to do tonight, but I don’t know if you’d be that comfortable with it. I have to go out, just for a few hours at most. I ordered some things for your room and they were delivered to my friend’s house. Would you mind if I left to get them?” he rambles, silently hoping Leo will just agree. Perhaps his clumsiness with an unknowingly delicate topic would be unbelievably awkward if it were anyone else, but the angel is simply nodding along with honest eyes. His heartbeat is a little quick, but not worryingly so, just as if he’s nervous.

“Would you still be able to hear me?” the angel asks, slight anxiety in his tone.

“No, Angel, I wouldn’t,” Hakyeon frowns. Leo lets out a quiet ‘ah’ at this and the vampire watches as his shoulders slump a little, sullen. “I know you two aren’t that well acquainted, but Wonshik will be here and he’ll do anything for you as long as I let him know. He can contact me from anywhere so, really, Angel, if you want to speak to me while I’m there you can go to him.”

The angel reacts strangely to the mention of Wonshik, tensely shifting in his seat and glancing down, but the vampire just chalks it up to nerves. He frowns and fights the urge to reach out and hold Leo’s hands in place. Besides the fact that they’re still fumbling in his lap, Hakyeon thinks the angel could use the comfort of a gentle touch. He knows it’s not allowed though, so he just folds his own hands in front of him.

“Okay,” Leo nods, finally looking up to Hakyeon again.

“This helps a lot, Angel,” Hakyeon assures him, stepping away from the wall again. “Did you want me to walk you upstairs?” he offers, but the angel just shakes his head. “Okay then, anything else?”

“Tell me when you leave.”

“Of course,” Hakyeon finishes and leaves the room.

 

He rushes to get dressed, throwing on slacks that make his butt look cute and one of the overly eccentric shirts that Hongbin designed for him. He is about to send the text that he’s ready, but, when he catches his reflection in the glass of a china cabinet that isn’t actually used for expensive dishes, he sighs. He has a reputation to uphold, just as he told Wonshik the night prior. No matter how wrapped up he gets in the new addition to his life, he’s still the prestigious vampire that helped to set up the feeder house. He all but jogs back to his room, sitting down at his vanity to get his makeup done as quickly as possible.

After swiping a dark shimmery shade on his lid and almost stabbing himself with his eyeliner pencil, he combs through his wavy black hair with his fingers and sends a text to Minhyuk. It’s not as far as he’d usually go, but it’ll suffice.

He waits until he gets a text back from the other vampire before he heads to the guest room for the second time tonight. Hakyeon knocks on the door and waits for a response for probably the first time, feeling nervous for no real reason. The angel beckons him in with a quiet, “Come in.”

He opens the door and leans against the frame, tipping his head to rest it against the wood as well. “Oh,” Leo mutters, looking Hakyeon up and down.

“Sorry, I have to dress up to go. I look weird, right?” Hakyeon chuckles as he runs a hand through the ruffles at the end of his sleeves. The angel mentioned something before about angels mostly wearing robes, so these clothes must look even stranger than the simple clothes Leo has already seen and worn. The makeup probably doesn’t help either.

“No,” the angel responds, a shock to Hakyeon, “It looks nice. You look pretty.” If the first statement wasn’t surprising enough, then that second one certainly was. His eyes snap up from where he was looking down to pick a fuzz off of his pants, and he doesn’t know what he was expecting to see, but it wasn’t an expression of contentment. The angel doesn’t seem nervous or embarrassed by the compliment as Hakyeon suspected he would be in such scenarios, because, yes, he has had so much time to ponder these things.

“Thank you,” Hakyeon smiles warmly, though he’s still flustered.

“For what?” the angel questions, brows slightly furrowed. Hakyeon isn’t sure if this is another thing related to empathy or if angels just don’t thank each other, but he doesn’t think one way is easier to understand than the other, so perhaps it doesn’t matter.

“Telling me I look nice,” Hakyeon responds simply, but it obviously doesn’t help the angel because the crease between his brows only grows. “You complimented me when you didn’t have to, so I appreciate it. You say thank you at times like this, when someone says or does something nice for you.”

“Ah,” the angel hums, so quiet it’s just barely audible. “So, it’s like empathy?”

“You could say that,” Hakyeon nods, unable to hide his smile. Leo is making eye contact with him then and it makes the vampire the least bit shy, but he doesn’t allow himself to look away. The angel is starry eyed, as if his eyes hold the entire universe inside them, and Hakyeon thinks he could easily stand here forever, never feeling the time pass. Though, he could never be quite so lucky.

The subtle rumble of a car’s engine and the flashing of headlights through curtains pull Leo’s eyes away from him. Hakyeon snaps out of then, shaking his head as if that will help him think straight, and concludes that it’s just an angel thing. He stands up off of the doorway and places his hand on the cold knob again. “I have to go now. Speak to Wonshik if you need anything, okay? He’ll be listening,” he assures, earning a nod from the angel. “Okay,” Hakyeon says as he slowly moves out of the door, beginning to pull it closed behind him. He knows he should be rushing because he still has to drop into Wonshik’s room and order him to bend to the angel’s will, but he really doesn’t want to leave him. “By the way,” he starts again, peeking his head in through the mostly closed door,  “Red is a lovely color on you, Angel.”

“Thank you,” the angel responds, voice light as the feathers on a hummingbird- or an angel. Hakyeon could be imagining things, but he swears he catches a glimpse of a smile before he turns his back.

 

Hakyeon is never any less proud when he pulls up to the feeder house. Sure, he hadn’t designed it himself, but he assisted, planned, and funded. It was his and Minhyuk’s dream project, a facility where blood could be taken consensually for something good in return, something worth it. It wasn’t easy, of course, recruiting humans onto their project, but they did it, without glamouring anyone might Hakyeon add. Then they did what advertising they could until they garnered enough employees and clients to turn it into a real business. Hakyeon is just a consultant now, steps in when Minhyuk needs an opinion on something or is feeling overwhelmed, but he still feels just as proud every time he walks up these steps.

He can’t let his giddiness show though, has to maintain the serious business associate facade that he promised Minhyuk they would. Their business is dangerous to an extent, vampires can get too cocky after feeding or getting hired at such a nice place and cause trouble, so, those in charge need to be feared, highly respected at the very least. He pulls on a bored expression, like this is just another night for him and he isn’t the least bit intimidated by anything going on behind these walls. Half of that is true at least.

He steps inside and looks around the foyer, playing unimpressed as he kicks his shoes off. An obviously much younger vampire, a new employee that Hakyeon can’t recall the name of right now, turns the corner and freezes. “Oh, Sir, I didn’t know you’d be arriving so soon,” he says, scrambling to align Hakyeon’s discarded shoes next to the door and pulling slippers from a case a few feet away. When he straightens up he looks to Hakyeon with not fear, but admiration in his eyes. A small part of Hakyeon misses this dearly.

“Where is Minhyuk?” Hakyeon asks, ignoring the younger vampire’s statement completely as he toes on the slippers. The employee notices and takes a knee, assisting Hakyeon with his head bowed like the elder vampire is some sort of king.

“I-I don’t know. I can go look for him if you’d like, sir,” the younger vampire responds, frantic.

“No need,” comes Minhyuk’s voice from a short distance away. Hakyeon looks over, past the employee’s shoulder, and finds his business partner with a small smile on his face. When the employee turns around Minhyuk pulls on a carefully practiced blank expression, leaving the youngest vampire to imagine whatever he wants to see on his face. “Why don’t you get Hakyeon here a drink, hm? A wine glass, make it neat.”

“Of course, Sir,” their employee nods, jumping to attention.

“Perfect. We’ll be in my office,” Minhyuk tells him, corners of his lips quirked up intentionally now to show a small bit of kindness. “Come,” he instructs, looking to Hakyeon again with a hand outstretched. Hakyeon holds back a chuckle as he walks over and takes Minhyuk’s hand in his, following him to the office they used to share.

Once they’re shut behind the door and completely hidden from the rest of the house with a spell, they break into a giggle fit. “I don’t know how you do this all night,” Hakyeon says through laughter, slapping at Minhyuk’s shoulder.

“You learn to find the humor in it,” Minhyuk shrugs. “How have you been, Hakyeonnie?” he asks as he pulls Hakyeon into a one-armed hug. _Isn’t that a loaded question,_ Hakyeon thinks. On the surface, he just shrugs with a smile.

“Things are fine, just dull,” he lies. Keeping Minhyuk in the dark isn’t something he feels comfortable doing, but it’s necessary. The other vampire is trustworthy, of course, but involving anyone else in the situation is pure danger in itself. If Hakyeon had had the chance to choose, he would have hidden it all from Wonshik as well.

“Dull?” Minhyuk prompts. Hakyeon only nods in response, slightly worried that somehow Minhyuk already caught on to his fib. “You haven’t heard anything more about the rumors then? The ‘something dangerous’?” Hakyeon opens his mouth to answer, one that he hasn’t even come up with yet, but is, luckily enough, cut off by a knock at the door. “Sh, serious faces on,” Minhyuk whispers as he reaches for the doorknob with one hand while he presses a finger to his lips with the other.

When the door swings open they find that same employee standing behind it, though this time he’s carrying a wine glass filled to the brim with blood. Hakyeon lips part at the sight of it and he quickly realizes just how long he’s gone without drinking anything. He doesn’t really process the short conversation between the other two males, merely watches as Minhyuk takes the glass in his hand. He sees the door close in his peripheral vision, but finds it hard to focus on anything besides the blood swishing in the glass, a drop or two spilling over the edge. Minhyuk dips a finger in, just enough to wet his fingertip, and swipes it over Hakyeon’s bottom lip. It drips into his mouth and he blinks hard a few times, finally able to focus again.

“Are you okay?” Minhyuk asks as he holds out the glass for Hakyeon to take. “I knew you hadn’t made an appointment in a while, but you’re usually good for a month and a half at least.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hakyeon breathes out, “The rumors just have me a bit stressed as of late.” He takes the drink from Minhyuk, hands just barely shaking, and swallows it down quickly. It’s not much, not even fresh, but it still makes him feel better when he hadn’t even realized he’d been weak. Minhyuk nods, though his doubtful look lingers.

 

\--------

 

Wonshik finds this all awkward, skipping up the stairs ahead of the angel and escorting him to another room in the house. The angel called him out of his room just a few minutes ago and informed him that there’s no light upstairs. Wonshik furrowed his brows and told the angel to go back upstairs with him so he could show him where the switch is. He absently wonders if the lights in Leo’s room have been this entire time. He hasn’t noticed, half because he doesn’t go in there and half because the whole world is illuminated to vampires. He also came to the conclusion that Hakyeon isn’t doing a very good job as a teacher.

He shows Leo where the light switches are and decides not to question the look of realization on the white-haired male’s face. The angel walks to the piano and seats himself on the bench while Wonshik lingers in the doorway. He should probably leave, but, in all honesty, he just doesn’t feel like it.

“You don’t have to stay,” the angel tells him, briefly glancing up over the sleek black piano.

“I know, but I don’t have anything else to do,” the vampire shrugs, walking further into the room and hopping up to sit on the windowsill. The angel follows him with his eyes, turning around in his seat to face Wonshik. “You can play.” Leo shrugs. “We could talk,” he offers, returning the angel’s shrug.

“What about?”

“I don’t know. Have any questions that you don’t want to ask Hakyeon?”

The angel gives a shy nod and the corners of Wonshik’s lips quirk up. He knows it could be something mundane, but the idea of something the angel wants him to hide from Hakyeon is exciting. “You,” the angel starts, slowly dragging his eyes up to meet Wonshik’s, “You seem a little bit more like angels I guess, detached. Hakyeon, I don’t know, but it seems like he feels _more_ of everything.”

“Yeah, Hakyeon is an emotional guy,” Wonshik nods, unsure of whether to take the first statement as a compliment or not. Being compared to an angel seems like one of the best things you could be compared to, but Leo’s tone didn’t make it feel that way. “Why? Is he being annoying? He means well, but can get overbeari-“

“No,” the angel cuts him off. He huffs out a breath and leans back against the piano, seemingly trying to put the words together. “When I’m with Hakyeon I feel weird, like something I’ve never felt. I don’t know.”

“Hatred?” Wonshik laughs, earning a glare from the angel whose cheeks are currently a bright pink color. “Oh,” he says quietly. He almost wishes it were hatred because that’s at least somewhat easily redeemable. He can tell Hakyeon to tone it down or do more to quickly teach Leo what he needs to know to get him out into the world. Though, if the angel means that he has a crush on Hakyeon, or something like that, it’s a bit harder to deal with, especially for Wonshik. “Do you like being around him?” Wonshik asks nervously.

“Yeah, but that’s not the weird thing,” Leo tells him, “When he’s around there’s a weird feeling in my stomach.”

“Like butterflies?”

“I- Yeah, you could put it that way.”

“Leo,” Wonshik says before pausing to clear his throat, “It sounds like you like like him.”

“What?” the angel asks, heartbeat picking up and started to pound in his chest.

“It’s not bad. It just means you like spending time with him and looking at him and talking to him more than in just a friend way,” Wonshik explains, working hard to ignore the image of Jaehwan that flits through his mind. “I wouldn’t worry about it. It doesn’t really matter in this situation anyway. It can’t go anywhere.”

“Okay,” Leo sighs out. Whether it was a sigh of relief or disappointment, Wonshik doesn’t know. He stands up off the windowsill again, no longer comfortable with just sitting around to chat.

This new discovery has him a bit worried. The whole thing was supposed to be simple, as simple as it could be anyways, but things are weird and tricky when feelings are involved. Feelings cause trouble and tension, among other things.

“I’m going to go downstairs. You can call if you need anything,” Wonshik says, turning around briefly once he gets to the door. The angel simply nods as he lifts the cover off the piano keys. The vampire lets out a sigh, trying to figure out what to do with this situation, before heading out the door and down the stairs.

 

\---------------

 

Though it’s not necessary, Hakyeon tiptoes up the stairs of his home. He knows he shouldn't sneak around this time, especially since he could have easily gotten caught before, but he doesn’t want the song to end just yet. He stands hidden outside the door for a few minutes, despite his conscience telling him to just go in, and only steps through the threshold when silence falls over the house. “I’m home,” he says softly, prompting the angel’s eyes to snap to him. His eyes are wide until he spots Hakyeon, then they soften, as if he’s relieved to see him here. “You play beautifully,” he compliments, half testing whether or not the angel remembers the lesson from earlier.

“Thank you,” the white-haired male mutters. Hakyeon smiles, thankful that this delicate balance between the two of them doesn’t seem to be damaged yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i honestly don't know how pleased i am w this chapter, but the plot is moving forward so i suppose that's a good thing. leave a kudos or comment and lmk what you think


	7. Night 6- Odd Sense

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it'd be criminal not to use a vixx song as a chapter title (spoiler - has nothing to do with the actual lyrics)

Hakyeon wakes up feeling good, pride and happiness still lingering from the night prior. He dresses early and does his makeup again, though it’s not as extravagant this time around. Looking at himself in the mirror he smiles, recalling the angel’s praise. “You look pretty,” he said so softly and sincerely it even made Hakyeon falter. Hakyeon, the charming vampire that has received countless compliments that were spoken with much more sophisticated words by people that were actively aiming to flatter, faltered at such a simple compliment. Though, he supposes that anyone would be taken aback if such a creature gifted them with those kind words. He forces himself out of his own head, the task made easier by the sight of his bloodstained lips.

He leaves his room in search of Wonshik. They have things to do that can’t be put on hold for Hakyeon’s vanity. They have to put the angel’s room together, which most likely means sending the angel up to the piano room so they can move freely. He highly doubts the angel will mind though as it seems he’s taken a liking to it. Either way, it shouldn’t take up too much time as long as Wonshik cooperates.

He frowns when he sees the front door was left ajar. The rumors may have died down a bit, but it doesn’t mean they should be reckless, especially when they’re hiding an angel. He opens the door the rest of the way and steps out into the cold night, immediately finding the younger vampire perched on the ledge of the porch. “An angel isn’t enough excitement for you?” he chuckles, though it's bare of any real amusement.

Wonshik looks back to him and shrugs before turning his attention to the empty street again. He knows the younger vampire has the short end of the stick. He’s already being kept on a leash, as Jaehwan put it, and now there’s this giant secret in his life that he can’t do anything about. On top of those things, he had to babysit the aforementioned giant secret the night prior, so he probably isn’t feeling too great.

Hakyeon sighs and ignores the way the chilled air raises the hair on his arms in favor of going out to sit next to his child. He leans over to rest his head on Wonshik’s shoulder, unsure of what to say to make the younger understand how delicate the situation is. He thinks an apology might be a good place to start. “Shik,” he begins, tone careful.

“Do you like Leo?” Wonshik cuts him off before he can say much of anything, not bothering to look down at Hakyeon. The elder presses his lips together, even more puzzled now than he was before. Rather than being annoyed by his new responsibilities and restrictions, is Wonshik feeling neglected?

“Of course I do, but no more than I like you,” Hakyeon responds, cheesy and aiming to please. Wonshik huffs at this and shakes his head, his dangly earring slapping against Hakyeon’s forehead. The elder fights the laugh that bubbles up in his throat at the clumsy action and reaches up to sweep the accessory away from his face. The metal is freezing to the touch, leaving Hakyeon to wonder how long Wonshik has been sitting out here like this. “What do you mean then?” he asks, enveloping the other in a graceless sideways hug.

“Do you like like him? I mean, like, have feelings for him,” Wonshik explains, tactless and endlessly confusing. Hakyeon lifts his head off of Wonshik’s shoulder to look at him, appreciating how the sudden cool breeze suits the dramatics of the situation. The younger vampire looks at him again after what feels like an hour, gaze nervous and unfocused.

“How could I?” Hakyeon asks, both to himself and his child, “When I’ve known him less than a week and we are what we are.” The younger just stares at him, glancing between Hakyeon’s eyes like if he looks long enough he’ll find an answer there. The elder allows him this, not sure what he’d do otherwise. He’s never been so confused as to what’s going on the younger vampire’s head. A voice of reason in the back of his mind tells him it’s nothing to be worried about, just Wonshik’s inexperience with feelings and emotions and such, but a gut feeling and the glimmer in the sharp eyes staring back at him tells him otherwise.

“Okay,” the younger concedes as he raises his hands to loosely grip Hakyeon’s arm and looks back to the yellowing leaves on the trees.

“Is there a reason you asked?” Hakyeon asks after a few minutes of relative silence and a smell in the air that’s steadily growing unbearable. He knows the air here generally doesn’t smell great, but it smells worse tonight and he can’t guess why. It smells like magic, but worse, like someone spilled a potion on something plastic and decided to burn it. He doesn’t know how Wonshik is able to bear it, but he wants to hurry this up and get both of them inside where it’s safe and smells like his seasonal candles.

“Not really. I was just wondering,” Wonshik tells him. Hakyeon can tell he’s lying, but decides not to push him any further tonight. Both of them have their own things to work out, this being another issue to Hakyeon’s already long list, and he’s learned that prodding Wonshik for answers only pushes him further away.

“Okay, Shik,” Hakyeon hums, leaving a quick kiss on Wonshik’s jaw. “Why don’t we go in? It’s cold and I’ll need help with Leo’s room soon anyway.”

“You can go. I’ll be in in a little bit,” Wonshik assures. A somewhat sorrowful smile slips onto his face and he pecks at Wonshik once more before moving away completely. Both the conversation and the image of the younger’s lonely silhouette against the gleaming moonlight are things he’s sure will weigh on his mind for a while. He should make a call to Jaehwan later.   

 

Coaxing Leo upstairs was so easy that Hakyeon doubts it could even be considered persuasion. He told the angel about the plans for the room and the angel merely nodded along, informing Hakyeon that he wanted to play the piano anyway. So Hakyeon and a slightly distracted Wonshik began working.

It takes longer than expected, but that could be accounted to just how overboard Hakyeon went. He hadn’t meant to, but he’s always had a knack for interior design and this is a chance he doesn’t get often. The 500,000 won silk sheets were probably too much, Hakyeon will admit that, but it’s not like he is going to run out of money any time soon. The fairy lights running along the ceiling’s perimeter will probably be lost on the angel as well, but they suit the aesthetic. Besides, if Leo looks beautiful under a sliver of moonlight then he’ll look breathtaking with the twinkling silver lights.

“Am I done?” Wonshik huffs, flopping onto the bed that Hakyeon just finished making. Hakyeon sighs, but swallows his nagging just as he’s been doing for the past two hours. Wonshik hasn’t actually been much help tonight, more mysterious and vaguely gloomy than anything, but the elder couldn’t do anything but tolerate it. It’s obvious the purple haired boy has a lot on his mind, an inconvenience that Hakyeon can relate to, so he let Wonshik go with minimal pestering.

“Yeah, you’re done,” Hakyeon hums, walking to the edge of the bed to pat Wonshik’s head, “Go play.”

“I’m 72 now, Hakyeon. I don’t think many people tell their grandparents to ‘go play’,” the younger rolls his eyes as he pushes himself up off the sheets. Hakyeon snorts out a laugh as he bends down to fix the sheets and watches a smile tug on Wonshik’s lips when he looks down to his phone. He wonders if the younger has finally realized his own feelings and is troubled by that, but he doesn’t dare ask. He will step in if things begin to look messy, but until then he can only look on and support his child in small ways.

“Are you staying in the rest of the night?” Hakyeon asks as he continues to adjust the bedspread, feigning disinterest. He texted Jaehwan a short while ago and asked him to invite the younger vampire over, but he doesn’t think that counts as meddling. It’s simply a gentle push.

“I was thinking about going to Jaehwan’s. He said it’s slow tonight,” Wonshik shrugs.

“I can get you a ride,” the elder offers, working hard to hide his own knowing smile. Wonshik eyes light up as he looks to Hakyeon, but his grin quickly turns unsure and nervous. “Everything alright, Shik?”

“Yeah,” Wonshik nods, glancing down to his phone again. “I’ll go get ready,” he adds before shuffling out the door. Hakyeon lets out a sharp exhale as he watches the younger leave, feeling a bit pitiful.

Hakyeon barely has time to think about it because, a few moments later, Leo appears in the doorway. It feels like that is how everything going lately and he’s not sure whether he likes it or not. The vampire gasps at his sudden presence, clutching his chest in shock. He supposes it’s his own fault for zoning out, lazy gaze focused on the space Wonshik stood.

“Hi, Angel,” Hakyeon says, acting like he didn’t just jump a foot in the air over nothing. “The room is done. Wonshik helped me a bit.”

“Can I come in?” the angel asks, already inching forward. Hakyeon nods eagerly and steps aside, careful to make room for the angel. Leo gives him a quick once over before entering, the twinkling lights reflecting off of his white hair and wings. Hakyeon’s lips part at the sight, feeling lucky he doesn’t need to breathe because the image before him would surely take that ability away. “What?” the angel questions once he looks back to the vampire.

“What?” Hakyeon repeats, stunned eyes looking to the angel in slight embarrassment.

“You’re staring.”

“You’re pretty.”

“O-oh,” the angel stutters, glancing down to the floor, “Thank you.” Hakyeon almost squeals at how cute the angel is, but holds it back, somehow. He knows he’s supposed to be professional and educate Leo, but he grew attached in these six long nights. The angel is endearing in a strange way. He has enough power to kill Hakyeon if he wanted to, or that’s how powerful angels are rumored to be anyway, but Leo is gentle and earnest. The vampire just wants to cup his cheeks, kiss the tip of his nose, and tell him he’s doing well. Though, for now, he will just settle on these small compliments.

“I’ll let you settle in then,” Hakyeon says, clearing his throat. He has to contact Minhyuk or someone else at the feeder house to get Wonshik a ride to the witch’s place anyway. There’s also the fact that if he sticks around much longer he thinks he may tear up at the sight of the masterpiece in front of him. “If you need anything you know you can-”

“Call you,” Leo fills in, “I know. Thank you.”

Hakyeon nods once, biting his lip to hold back a grin that would probably so large it’d be frightening. He walks past the angel to exit, mind somehow flooded with thoughts and empty at the same time, so he isn’t really thinking to take caution when his hand brushes against the angel’s. He audibly gasps and steps back to make space.

“I’m sorry, Angel. I didn’t mean to touch you. I’m sorry,” the vampire apologizes with an urgent tone.

The angel grasps his own hand with a soft touch and holds it to his chest, but he doesn’t seem upset. If anything he seems surprised, disoriented maybe. “You didn’t intend to touch me?” Leo asks, looking for reassurance or confirmation, and Hakyeon quickly shakes his head. “Okay. That’s okay.”

“You know I would never do anything to hurt you, right?” Hakyeon prompts, saddened by the heavy thumping in the angel’s chest. Leo looks down for only a moment, eyes dancing from his own pale hands to Hakyeon’s warm features. It makes the vampire doubt himself, but instead of discouraging him he just wants to work harder to prove his devotion to the cause.

“I know,” the angel assures. He looks at Hakyeon like he has something else to say, but he doesn’t continue and the vampire doesn’t think he’s in a place to ask questions right now. So, he only offers a smile before leaving the room. He heaves out a breath once the door shuts behind him and takes a minute to himself before reaching for his phone.

 

\------

 

The bell above the door jingles when Wonshik enters the witch’s shop, beckoning the attention of his best friend. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” Jaehwan’s voice rings through the small building. Wonshik just smiles and makes his way toward the counter. He leans over it, resting his elbows on smooth glass and picking up some vial that was lying on it. He holds it up to the light, fascinated by the way it seems to exude a pink glow itself. He moves to pull the stopper out and take a whiff of the liquid, like that will tell him anything about what it is, but Jaehwan bursts through the door with an arm extended. “Don’t open that!” he squeals and Wonshik freezes. “There is a stopper in it for a reason,” Jaehwan tells him as he takes the vial from his hands and tucks it away in a drawer under the counter. Wonshik just stares on, dumbfounded. “If you ingest any of that you’ll fall in love with the first person you see, so, me.”

“Useless,” Wonshik says under his breath, laughing bitterly to himself.

“What?” Jaehwan asks, leaning in to hear the vampire better.

“I said ew,” Wonshik manages, backing away from the blonde and gluing his eyes to another wall. Suddenly, this shelf in the complete opposite direction of Jaehwan is extremely interesting. Jaehwan fakes a scoff, which Wonshik blatantly ignores in favor of changing the subject. “Have you talked to Hakyeon lately?” he asks, barely mustering the courage to look back to the witch.

“No,” Jaehwan shakes his head, “Why? Is he going crazy over the rumors?”

“I mean yeah, but that’s not what I’m talking about. He’s just being weird. It’s hard to explain,” the vampire tries and fails to explain, fingers tapping anxiously on the counter.

“Here, let’s talk in the back,” Jaehwan instructs and opens the door leading to the office. Well, it’s really more of a workshop, but the witch thinks referring to it as an office sounds fancier and Wonshik loves to please him.

Wonshik jumps atop the counter, trying to seem cool even though the second his feet land there, his pink printed bunny socks are completely visible over his scuffed Balenciagas. Jaehwan chuckles and reaches a hand out to help the often clumsy vampire down. Wonshik takes it with a shy smile and jumps from the counter before heading into the back room. “How is Hakyeon being weird, anyway?” Jaehwan asks, settling on the worn out pull out couch. It creaks under his weight then practically screams when Wonshik flops down onto it, causing them to break out into laughter. “Hey, focus,” Jaehwan insists as he smacks at the vampire’s chest, though he is laughing as well.

“Anyway,” Wonshik starts once the laughter has died down, “I can’t give details or Hakyeon might actually kill me, so you’re just gonna have to deal with what I _can_ give you.”

“Unfair, but fine. If Hakyeon killed you I’d get lonely so I’ll deal with it,” Jaehwan huffs, lifting a hand to examine his nails in an act of faux arrogance. Wonshik rolls his eyes in response and scooches over on the futon to rest his head on Jaehwan’s chest. It is arguably uncomfortable, slim as Jaehwan is, but the sound of his heartbeat is comforting to Wonshik. Besides, if he got up and complained he’d probably offend the witch, and the only person in the world more dramatic than Hakyeon, is Jaehwan, so he’d rather not get him started.

“Hakyeon met someone who we don’t really know much about, but he doesn’t seem evil necessarily,” Wonshik tells him, struggling to put it together in a way that makes sense, but doesn’t give anything away, “And this-this _guy_ seems to like Hakyeon, but it’s going to be really bad if he does. So I asked Hakyeon if he likes the guy and he didn’t really say no. He just brushed it off.”

“Why would it be bad?” Jaehwan asks, mindlessly drawing shapes on Wonshik’s upper back with a fingertip. It’s more distracting than comforting, but the vampire still relishes in it.

“There is just no way it could end well and Hakyeon has other things to do, you know,” Wonshik insists with a sigh, “He said he couldn’t like the guy because they’ve only known each other for like a week, but people fall in love after a couple of dates and stuff, right?”

Jaehwan raises a hand and pokes right between Wonshik’s eyebrows that he hadn’t even realized were creased. The vampire glances up to find Jaehwan looking at him with a soft smile, lips curled and eyes alight. “It’s Hakyeon though. He’ll figure it out. It will probably be annoying, but he will,” the human assures as Wonshik reaches up to swat his hand away. “Plus, you don’t really get to choose who you fall in love with,” he adds with a more melancholy tone.

Wonshik huffs out a bitter laugh for the second time tonight and lowers his head back down to Jaehwan’s chest. “That sounds like something Hakyeon would say,” he says, a poor cover for his obvious disdain.

“Insult me like that again and I feed you to the next werewolf that walks in here.”

 

Wonshik leaves Jaehwan’s shop a little over an hour before dawn sets in. It is just early enough to avoid the discomfort that comes with the Call of the Sun, but late enough to observe a faint glow in the underbelly of the thick clouds. Hakyeon is already blowing up his phone, asking him when he’s coming home and if he needs a ride. Wonshik tells him that Jaehwan is closing early and driving him, but he really just wants to walk home.

The cool night air nips at his skin, but it isn’t unpleasant enough for him to actually cancel his plans and ask for a ride home. The walk home is around two miles and a little creepy, even for a vampire’s standards. He supposes the creepiness factor is increased by the knowledge of a potential danger in town, but he pushes that to the back of his mind and focuses on the soft hum of life further into the city.

The city he moved to with Hakyeon is a bit strange in his own opinion. It’s small, though Wonshik doesn’t care enough to know the exact population, and there’s a radical split between the businesses and the homes. He doesn’t go into the city much nor does he particularly enjoy it when he must, not during the night at least, but he supposes he would like it if he could visit all the little shops with Jaehwan during the day.

There’s a sudden slight tickle at the nape of his neck, alerting his vampire senses to humans in the distance. They are just close enough for their heartbeats to be audible when Wonshik really listens and it causes an uneasiness within him. Instead of rushing home, Wonshik walks a bit slower, trying to map things out.

There had to be at least four of them and they could only be no more than a block away. Strange, Wonshik thinks to himself. Humans, in this area at least, almost never go out at night if they aren’t safely in their cars with a heavy layer of protection between them and any supernaturals. The threat of vampires and whatever other supernatural creatures that could be lurking in the shadows is usually enough to keep them indoors, homes locked up tight. Save for Jaehwan, of course.

A particularly strong gust of wind blows by, leaving behind a sort of toxic scent of magic, even stronger than the scent of Jaehwan ingrained in Wonshik’s clothing. He comes to the conclusion that they must be witches or something of the like and he relaxes a bit. Well, he relaxes as much as he can when he’s walking to his impending doom, namely Cha Hakyeon, or more specifically Cha Hakyeon when he finds out the younger lied to him about his means of transportation. In the back of his mind, he wonders why he was even on edge because of a few humans and their magic anyway, but pays it no mind. He has plenty of other things to be worried about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry my updates are a little inconsistent if you want to follow me on twitter to know when i post i'm @hunscafe,, feel free to dm me and lmk what you think about the fic uwu


	8. Night 7- Storms, Daggers, and Seeds

The last thing Hakyeon expects to see when he picks up his ringing phone is Hongbin’s name on the screen. He’d almost forgotten about the whole wardrobe problem until now, as he’s been considerably distracted by other issues. He picks it up almost immediately, though he is a bit disappointed since previous to this call it seemed as if he’d have a tame night.

“Hey, so I have the rough designs done, but I’m gonna need exact measurements before I do anything else,” Hongbin informs before Hakyeon can even get a word out. Hakyeon whispers a curse to himself, mostly to his poor memory and how often he overlooks important factors, and flops back on the couch.

“Okay, I’ll handle it,” Hakyeon sighs out, “Thanks anyway.” His gaze is fixed on the angel’s door, feeling slightly hopeless. Hakyeon doesn’t even know how to take his own measurements, how can he expect Leo to know how? Even if the vampire did know how, it doesn’t seem like something Leo would let him do. There’d be too much risk, he’d have to touch the other. He lets out a second sigh, his hand that’s holding the phone slowly drifting away from his ear.

“That seems ominous,” comes Sanghyuk’s voice with a playful tone. Hakyeon lets out a tired, nervous chuckle, though it’s covered by the demon’s own amused laugh. He wishes things were as simple as such a joke.

“Sanghyuk, shut up,” Hongbin huffs before a little shuffling can be heard. It comforts Hakyeon in a weird way, the bickering is familiar and, for the first time, welcome. “Go, you have shit to sew,” the demon says distantly, obviously talking to Sanghyuk before he says, “I've been trying to leave time for you, but we are gonna be booked up soon. I know you’re my friend, but business is business.”

“I know, Hongbin. I’ll send you the measurements when I get them,” he assures and ends the call. The call hadn’t been too distressing on its own, but it was a reminder of the wall between the vampire and the angel that Hakyeon had yet to break down. Perhaps that’s too harsh an analogy. Whatever analogy one wants to apply here, Hakyeon and Leo aren’t close. Progress is being made, of course, but when the whole of their beings completely reject the fundamentals of the other's, it’s not as easy as settling some adult disagreement.

It’s times like these when Hakyeon wishes he could just let himself implode on Wonshik, fuss over him until the younger gave in and dragged him to bed to watch a movie they’ve seen a million times or until Wonshik told him to shut up and get a grip. Hakyeon always wished for the more gentle approach, but often got the latter. Either way, that wasn’t an option at the moment. Wonshik is being weird and Hakyeon doesn’t have the leisure to spend the night hovering over his shoulder right now anyway.

A crash of thunder hits, nearly at the peak of Hakyeon’s bitterness. He’d be lying if he were to say he wasn’t a little bit pleased with the dramatic timing, but it doesn’t actually do much to comfort him. He hears Wonshik groan and snorts out a laugh, assuming the sudden boom startled him and made him knock something over. He’s a clumsy little thing, Hakyeon thinks fondly.

“Hakyeon,” is whispered, but this time it’s urgent, breathless. The vampire scrambles to his feet, an unpleasant feeling in his gut. “Hakyeon,” is repeated in the half a second it takes him to get to the door and wretch it open.

“Angel, what’s wrong?” he asks, hating the sound of the rapid, heavy beating of the angel’s heart. There’s another crash of thunder, and Leo visibly flinches, squeezing his eyes shut and hands gripping the comforter impossibly tighter. _Oh._ “Do you not like storms?” he questions, more softly now. Leo looks up, eyes wide despite his eyebrows being furrowed and it almost seems as if his eyelashes will brush against his brows. “Lightning? Thunder?” Hakyeon prompts, but it elicits no further reaction from the angel. “There’s usually rain when there’s a storm, but it can exist without,” Hakyeon tells him, glancing towards the window covered by thick curtains, “Lightning and thunder are relatively harmless, just unpleasant.”

“I see,” Leo responds, following Hakyeon’s eyes to the curtains.

The soft pitter-patter of rain can be heard now, though it’s picking up in a way that suggests that their backyard will surely flood overnight. He frowns, adding yard work to his mental list of tasks. Hakyeon looks back to the angel just in time to see him to flinch once again, a flash of lightning followed by distant, but ever so loud thunder. He seems much more like a kitten left in a cardboard box than an angel strong enough to rip his head off as he pleases. Hakyeon isn’t sure how to feel about that.

“I-I don’t like it,” Leo admits and, if Hakyeon didn’t feel for him before, he certainly did now. It would be so easy to wrap him up in the blankets, cozy and tucked in, and shove headphones in his ears to drown out the sound of symbols in the sky- but alas.

“I take it you don’t experience weather like that in heaven.” Leo shakes his head. Hakyeon’s eyebrows raise, surprised at even the smallest bits of information given away willingly, and he doesn’t miss the way Leo’s eyes flit over him before focusing on his own pale knuckles.

“There’s light rain, sometimes snow, but not often. It’s almost always sunny,” Leo informs sheepishly. Hakyeon thinks he could have guessed that something like that being the case, though he’s learned not to bet on his knowledge of Heavenly things in the past week. Another crack of thunder, another flinch. “How long will it be like this?”

“I’m not sure, Angel. I don’t mean to alarm you, but it could last all night,” the vampire says, earning the attention of wide, nervous eyes despite his delicate tone. “The sun should be rising in four hours, give or take. It won’t hurt to sleep early if you don’t want to listen to it.”

Leo doesn’t respond right away, head ducking down and a barely there sigh escaping the angel’s lips. He seems like he’s bracing himself for something, maybe mentally preparing for the next crash of thunder. If it weren’t so sad it may be cute.

“Hakyeon,” he murmurs, unable or unwilling to lift his head. The vampire doubts it matters either way. “I don’t know how to feel about you yet,” he starts, ever weary, and Hakyeon softly urges him to continue with a quiet hum, “But- I don’t want to sit this out alone. Will you stay with me until it stops?”

It feels like Hakyeon has just been punched in the gut, wind and words knocked out of him in one fatal swoop. Of all the things Hakyeon had expected the angel to say with twinkling eyes focused on anything but Hakyeon and body language a step away from desperate, that hadn’t been one of them. He felt that fluttery jump in his chest again, but this time didn’t lift his hands from his sides to confirm his heart wasn’t beating. Strange hesitation and even stranger actions wouldn’t do anything to make the angel feel better anyway. He nods first, before he finds his words, and adds ever so softly, “Of course.” He isn’t sure it’s heard over the next rumble of thunder though, so he says, “I’d do anything for you.”

Leo’s lips part and he looks away abruptly, Hakyeon’s sudden confession probably being too much for him. Could it be called a confession? Hakyeon isn’t sure. He hadn’t planned those words in particular, but they came out of him anyway, and he’d be left to ponder over what they meant later. But not now. Now, Hakyeon has declared himself to be merely an object for Leo’s comfort. He’s not entirely sure he minds much, if at all.

“Thank you,” Leo mutters, a few moments of silence passing between them, heavy like it’s something tangible. Hakyeon thinks it would be rather uncomfortable in any other circumstance, but for now, he wants to swim in it.

Of course, it was decided recently that the universe holds a passionate hatred for the gentle vampire. “Hakyeon, where’s your laptop? I just spilled nail polish remover on mine,” Wonshik shouts from his own room. Hakyeon sighs, equally as heavy as the silence.

“Will you dismiss me for a moment?” he asks, actively holding back some rather graceless words. Leo nods even though Hakyeon can see how hard he swallows when the vampire turns to leave. In the back of his mind he wonders how, when he’s a vampire and the only real thing he has in this world is time, it seems to be cut too short so often.

 

The task of shoving his laptop at Wonshik and ordering him not to break it, though it sounded so much more like a beg, had taken a few minutes. It should have taken only a second, vampires being able to move so quickly their movements can be equated to the flicker of a lit candle, but Wonshik loved being difficult. He whined about his own laptop, about the data that would be lost and the stickers that were ruined by the spilled liquid. Hakyeon had neither the time nor the patience to indulge the other when a laptop could easily be replaced and they had the resources to get the data off of his broken one. He shut Wonshik up quickly, promising to take care of it when he had a chance, and he only felt the least bit bad about it. He felt rather than heard the fear and the lurch of Leo’s heart in his chest when a particularly loud boom seemed to shake the house.

“Angel, I’m so sorry,” he apologizes as he rushes back into the guest room- Leo’s room, an annoying and soft voice and his head reminded him. “I hadn’t meant to take so long, but Wonshik is my child and as his maker, I must deal with the consequences of his clumsiness.” Leo nods at this, still tucked in the same place Hakyeon had left him, looking small despite his broad shoulders and long limbs.

“What does that mean?” the angel asks and the vampire all but jumps at the question. Telling the tale of how Wonshik became his child was sure to make Leo pull away, take 10 steps back in contrast to his very few steps forward. He supposes he could bore the angel with a long-winded explanation of vampire dynamics, both to get around giving up that part of himself to a creature that would not accept it, and to distract, help the time pass more swiftly as the storm raged on outside. Hakyeon knew that that wasn’t what the angel was asking about, such an explanation wouldn’t appease him, wouldn’t fool him either. Hakyeon didn’t know how he knew, but he did.

“I’m afraid you don’t want to know about such things as much as you think you do.”

“I do.” the angel states, barely missing a beat. Hakyeon looks to him, but Leo does not falter. The vampire nods silently, and moves to the edge of the bed. He hasn’t told this story in a long time and it’s not a pretty one, not one Hakyeon relishes in telling. It wouldn’t bode well if he told it standing, like he was proud and unashamed, and sitting would help in keeping himself upright. He had promised Leo anything though and he’d be damned if he didn’t deliver.

“It was probably around 50 years ago when I met Wonshik, but I suppose calling it a meeting may be too generous,” he starts, tentatively looking to Leo in hopes that he will be stopped and told that this wasn’t the answer the angel wanted. He wasn’t. “I was young, but not young enough for my actions to be excused as a newborn mistake. Quite too late,” he sighs, but continues even when the guilt starts to creep up on him, “I won’t give excuses, but I will tell you that I was running on pure heartbreak, hurt and foolishly vengeful. I heard a scream from somewhere and smelled blood.”

Hakyeon pauses, mostly for his own sake, but also to examine Leo. His expression is as solid as steel now, giving nothing away, and it makes Hakyeon feel impossibly more embarrassed at the way his voice was beginning to shake. His hands already were, so he decides to hug himself with a harsh grip that was sure to leave bruises in its wake, instead of bringing more shame to himself.

He knows he shouldn’t, but he holds a certain respect for reckless vampires. At least they could own up to their wrongdoings, stick up for their actions with charisma. Hakyeon just felt disgust directed at himself, his own conscious actions.

“I ran to it,” he begins again, realizing too late that he hadn’t clarified which factor had his feet darting across the pavement. He’s not sure if he knows himself. He’s not sure if it matters. “Wonshik was there, nearly drained to death, but the vampire wasn’t, wasn’t there I mean. It probably fled when it was properly sated, never minding the damage that it had done. Feeding off unwilling parties is mostly accepted, but turning people without consent isn’t done, as a rule, makes things too unpredictable. I saw Wonshik there, in the dark, alone, barely whimpering as blood soaked down his shirt,” Hakyeon’s voice breaks, so he takes another moment to gather himself. Leo is still staring intently, though his expression has shifted so slightly he’s not even sure the angel noticed it himself. The angel is grimacing. Hakyeon could probably do without the details. He holds himself tighter, punishing. “I just went to him, punctured my wrist, and bled into his mouth. I knew it was wrong. I-I still know,” he says looking up for the third time, though this time he meets the angel’s eyes completely. “He’s my child now, wholeheartedly mine. I take responsibility for him, just as a parent would, and I’m not bothered by doing so. I love him, for true, so much I’m sure I’d do it again if given the chance. I’m not proud, but I would. I love him too much.”

The heaviness in this silence is just as tangible now, but Hakyeon rather feels like he’s drowning in it. He’s shaking, but it’s vampiric in nature so it probably looks like he’s gently fluttering, like a fuzzy image of a butterfly flapping his wings. Hakyeon had once heard that butterflies can’t fly if their wings are touched and, sitting here under the scrutiny of Leo’s careful gaze, it feels as if there are hands looming over him.

“Empathy,” the angel says shortly with brows creased, “Isn’t that what empathy is? Wonshik was- He was in Death’s palm, but you reached for him before the fist could close. Is it not empathy?”

Hakyeon could only blink. He never thought about it in such a way, the fear and hatred Wonshik felt for him those first few agonizing months would never allow him that. Even after Wonshik relented, thanked him even, for plucking him from Death’s palm, he couldn’t forget how the younger vampire gagged himself until his throat went raw following the first time he fed. He decided then that he would never forgive himself, but the way Leo was talking to him, looking into him rather than at him, made him feel like he just might be able to.

“Am I wrong?” the angel asks, growing insecure, “I-This made me think I understood. Perhaps I’m wrong.”

“You’re not,” Hakyeon tells him, cutting himself off before he can add something pathetic behind it.

“Then why do you hold yourself like that? You saved him.”

It being put so simply left him speechless. His grip on his arms relented only slightly and he’d stopped shaking, though he hadn’t noticed when. Hakyeon had handed the angel a dagger, so to speak, this information would lead Hakyeon to death if used so cleverly, but in turn, the angel had handed him seeds. They’d been planted in Hakyeon the second Leo muttered the word ‘empathy’ and they somehow took in the infertile soil that was the vampire’s unbeating heart. He was casting doubt upon himself and, though he still held onto that disgust stubbornly, the potential of forgiveness was blooming beautifully inside him.

“Taekwoon,” the angel almost whispers, the statement lost on Hakyeon. “My name- It’s Taekwoon.”

“Thank you,” Hakyeon mutters out, unintelligible in the way he was struggling to form words. The angel seems to understand it well enough though. He gives one curt nod where the vampire seems frozen, stillness as vampiric as the fluttering. He didn’t know how to feel. He wanted to implode on Wonshik again, but he also didn’t want to move even an inch and break this moment.

The storm was still going strong in the dark sky and the thunder vibrated off the walls, but no louder than the way the angel’s name seemed to echo off of them still. Leo- Taekwoon’s heart didn’t jump at the sound, didn’t sound panicked or anxious. He simply looked to Hakyeon like he was secure, suddenly so sure about something that Hakyeon didn’t have half the mind to piece together at the moment. He’s never looked more beautiful.

The night sky that Hakyeon had once adored paled in comparison to the stars in Taekwoon’s eyes as he said, “Thank you, too, Hakyeon.”

“Anything for you, Taekwoon,” and _oh,_ how the name sounded so right leaving his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep the entire purpose of calling him leo for 6 chapters was for this forced development,,, hope you enjoyed


	9. Night 8- No Calm After the Storm

\-------------

 

Taekwoon hadn’t been able to sleep much, kept awakening with the storm. Each time, Hakyeon was there, looking up at him through his lashes, cheek rested in his palm from where his elbow was propped on the end of the bed. Sometime after Taekwoon divulged the thing he held so dear, his true name, and Hakyeon gave a piece of himself as well, it grew quiet. They fell into silence, not quite comforting, but not outright unsettling either, and Hakyeon only left the room once to fetch a wooden chair from the dining room- the dining room that Taekwoon wasn’t entirely sure why they had. In sharp contrast to the first night, Hakyeon’s presence and attention was a welcome assurance of safety for him. It felt good to trust.

This time when he awakes, Hakyeon’s eyes are not on him, but the storm has stopped as well so he isn’t sure why he’s feeling the loss. It is probably better this way. Hakyeon seemed to look more haggard each time the angel woke up, though he was no less admirable for it.

Hakyeon is asleep, almost startling in his stillness, and partly leaned over onto Taekwoon’s bed. His hair seems a bit greasy, messy like he had been continuously running his hands through it, and the pallor that had settled in his lips sometime during the day is just now starting to turn back to its deep pink hue that the vampire’s mouth usually claimed. Taekwoon knew the vampires usually slept during the day, but he was just beginning to fully grasp why.

Hakyeon looks utterly harmless and, for all that Taekwoon had been taught, he knows the vampire is just that. Taekwoon knows Hakyeon would never harm him, wouldn’t let anyone else do so either. He felt it each time Hakyeon looked at him, gaze warm like the sun, but so much less scathing.

Taekwoon was taught that vampires are supposed to be monsters, the closest thing to the embodiment of sin, even more so than demons. He gave up that thinking purely out of necessity rather than complete belief soon after he got here. Another thing he knows is that vampires aren’t to be trusted or touched, though he’d already betrayed one of those things.

He’d heard rumors from mouths that quickly shut when another angel was damned to fall for spreading them, and he didn’t know how much he should trust them. His first two beliefs were proven untrue, but touch is tangible, therefore the consequences were even more so. As the rumor went, a guardian angel, after mistakenly coming into contact with a vampire, was subsequently glamoured out of his wits. He was made to follow the vampires rather than being taken by sheer physical force, then held captive, and quite literally torn apart. It was all to prove a point, and it had worked, seeing as how angels are now forbidden from even looking upon the human realm. Taekwoon isn’t afraid to admit that the, perhaps baseless, rumor shook him some.

The last thing he knows about vampires is that they’re beautiful. He certainly didn’t learn that in his teachings, but he has observed it. This shook him even more.

He knows he shouldn’t go through with his unheavenly desires, his mind screaming at him to take caution while every other fiber of his being is telling him to continue with his foolishness. He pushes himself up from the pillow and scoots down the bed so carefully it may be considered a glide. It was easier, now that the sheets were silk.

He knows dusk is approaching despite the way Hakyeon had so carefully shut the curtains before he sat himself down the night prior, and Taekwoon didn’t particularly want to be caught in the act. He has to hurry, but his heart is beating quickly in his chest and his hands seem to seize up over Hakyeon’s head. He freezes there, for a few moments, unsure if pressing a hand to a vampire would be wise. They’d touched once, accidentally, but direct contact was interrupted by the hem of his sleeve. He got lucky.

 _“Anything for you, Taekwoon,”_ Hakyeon had said the night prior, eyes glimmering with gold, dripping nothing but pure honesty and light. It silences the angel’s worries, the phantom of the vampire’s voice louder than the rush of his own pulse in his ears.

He lets his fingers brush through Hakyeon’s hair and, crazy enough, nothing happens. Hakyeon is warm, radiating heat whereas Taekwoon’s touch is cold, and he lets himself sink into the feeling. It’s foolish, considering the possibility of being glamoured, but it feels good. His hair is as soft as he is, with his honey-like voice and golden skin tone, and it just _makes sense._

But night is falling and Hakyeon will wake soon. It wouldn’t do to be caught petting the vampire with the boundaries Taekwoon had so firmly set. He trusts Hakyeon, as much as he can in this moment anyway, but he isn’t prepared to drop his last line of defense just yet; He thinks that, as his fingers tangle in Hakyeon’s mussed hair.

He’d already given his name, the one thing that could be used to damn him, but he had done the calculations. He knew the vampire was dense where Heaven was involved and a single word spoken didn’t spook the angel much anyway. Though, a touch is tangible, therefore the consequences even more so.

 

\----------

 

Hakyeon awakes with a start, now that the Call of the Sun has faded it seems as if his body remembered its task. His head snaps up off the bed in worry, but relief quickly washes over him when he spots the angel sleeping soundly under the blankets. Hakyeon is sure he only let himself give in to sleep once Taekwoon was resting himself, but that doesn’t say much considering the fact that the white-haired male kept waking with the storm. Taekwoon would startle awake and look down to the end of the bed where Hakyeon was, only sinking back into the pillows once he found the vampire’s eyes on him. He can only hope the angel didn’t rise again and lie awake in fear. He thinks an apology is due, but for now, he shall let the angel sleep. The night was long, as was the day, so rest is much needed for both of them.

He has a million questions dancing, or rather stomping, around in his head. The angel told him his true name. That could only mean that he trusts Hakyeon, right? But why now? Why would the angel tell him such a thing after Hakyeon had told him the gruesome story of Wonshik’s rebirth? Taekwoon told him that revealing his name was dangerous or something along those lines, so why? He doesn’t understand. He supposes that if he’s lucky enough to know, to be trusted, perhaps he shouldn’t question it, but, _god,_ the curiosity is killing him.

The angel’s eyes flutter open delicately, eyelashes partly sweeping against his pillowcase that his cheek is currently smushed against, and he looks down to Hakyeon with heavy eyelids. Hakyeon grins, heart swimming at just how cute the angel is, yet baffled by how someone so beautiful and pure chose to trust _him._ “Good evening, Angel,” he says, a wonderfully familiar line.

“You know my name now,” the angel responds, voice thick from sleep. There was no bite behind it, no disappointment or regret, just spoken like an observation.

“I do,” Hakyeon nods. “It’s lovely. It suits you.”

Taekwoon’s eyes dart away at that and he too pushes himself up off the bed. He sits up, blushing as he glances to the vampire. “Your hair is messy,” he informs shyly. Hakyeon laughs as he straightens up in the extremely uncomfortable wooden chair and lazily attempts to smooth his hair down. He doesn’t think it matters much. As secure as he is with his own looks, they are meek in comparison to Taekwoon and he doesn’t see any reason to try to compete.

“I’m sure it is. I need a shower anyway and I’m sure you’d like one as well,” he sighs out, standing up and, unsurprisingly, finding his body stiff. It wasn’t at all shocking that his healing faculties would be slow. Resisting the Call of the Sun was draining and it would take a while to regain his energy when he hadn’t properly fed in a while. He’d do it all again though, if it meant Taekwoon felt safe.

Another sigh threatens to escape him as he looks down to the angel sleepily rubbing his eyes with the back of a hand. He didn’t want to leave the room really, a part of him feared that when he stepped out of the room all of this would break. He wants to lie here and listen to whatever Taekwoon will tell him, but lingering won’t do him any good right now.

“I’ll leave it to you then,” Hakyeon smiles, though it lacks any real joy, “Oh, I’m sorry if I fell asleep too early last night. I hope you were okay.”

“I slept fine. I-Thank you, Hakyeon,” the angel mutters.

“Of course, Taekwoon,” Hakyeon replies before ducking out the door. He almost thinks the world will stop once he shuts the door or he’ll wake up again to his actual reality like one of those cheesy scenes in movies, but all is well. It’s quiet, Wonshik is probably still sleeping, and the angel is hidden safely in his room. He knows perfection isn’t realistic, not an unattainable goal, but right now it feels like it just may be.

 

Another reassurance that perfection is an unrealistic, unattainable goal is the text he just got from Hongbin. Though, going by the wording, he suspects it was actually a text from Sanghyuk meant to annoy him. “Whose dick is up your ass wasting my time?” isn’t really a Hongbin sort of message. Either way, he’s sure it’s referring to him not having the measurements yet. It seems a bit trivial now, after what happened last night. The breakthrough felt monumental, but he’s been dragged out of the clouds and back to reality by Sanghyuk’s demonic grasp. Perhaps that analogy is a bit crude considering the circumstances.

It must get done though and maybe this newfound trust will benefit that fact.

 

“I have something to ask of you, Angel,” Hakyeon says a little while later and he has shut the door to the angel’s room behind him again. The angel’s heartbeat picks up, but he shows no outward reaction and, instead, casually seats himself on the bed as he ruffles through his wet hair with a towel. Hakyeon is sure it would feel quite domestic if he and Taekwoon were anyone except who they are. “It’s about your clothes,” Hakyeon adds, aiming to comfort.

“Oh, what about them?” Taekwoon asks, squinting one eye shut when a droplet of water runs down from his brow. _Cute_ , Hakyeon thinks, but he doesn’t speak it.

“The designer is very, well, precise,” Hakyeon starts, swallowing the more unkind words about his beloved demon friend, “He needs your measurements if we want things to look right.”

“I-I know how, but I couldn’t do it myself,” the angel nearly whispers, shooting Hakyeon a nervous glance as he gives up on drying his hair and drops his arms to his sides. On one hand, it’s a relief that the angel knows how to take measurements because Hakyeon didn’t really retain any information from the 5-minute tutorial he watched before entering the room. On the other hand, Hakyeon isn’t allowed to touch Taekwoon and he wouldn’t want to push those boundaries for a pair of impatient demons.

“It’s okay, really, I can just continue washing the stuff you have-“

“No,” Taekwoon cuts him off. His tone was urgent, apparently embarrassingly so, because a second later a pretty pink color blooms on his pale cheeks. Hakyeon is shocked and confused, but he doesn’t let it show. He just gives a small nod and a slightly crooked smile, hoping that will be enough to ease the angel’s anxiety even a small bit. “If you wouldn’t mind helping I’d let you touch me, just not my skin. Please,” he proposes, heart thumping loudly in his chest.

“If it makes you more comfortable I’ll wear gloves,” Hakyeon responds with a laugh. The angel ducks his head at that and the towel still resting on his head covers his features, but the vampire could have sworn he saw a smile there.

 

The first touch to the angel’s clothed chest raises the hairs on the back of Hakyeon’s neck. He hears a gasp from above him and glances up to find the angel watching him carefully, lips slightly parted. “I’m sorry,” he frowns, “Tell me if you change your mind. We don’t have to do this.” Taekwoon shakes his head and closes his eyes before tipping his chin upward. Hakyeon is just glad he had the foresight to grab the stepping stool from upstairs to make this just a little less awkward. Well, awkward isn’t exactly the right word. _Tense_ is more like it. “Hold this here, please. I need to write this down.”

“Okay, yeah,” the angel murmurs, breath puffing over Hakyeon’s forehead and parting his bangs down the middle. The vampire lets out a laugh and steps back, brushing his hair back into place.

Taekwoon is careful as he replaces Hakyeon’s hand with his own, never getting close enough to allow their fingers to even graze each other. The black haired male smiles, sympathetic and warm, before turning around towards the notebook laid out on the dresser. “You’re doing well, Taekwoon,” Hakyeon compliments as he writes down the first measurement.

“Thank you,” the angel responds shyly with a single nod. The vampire finds that his cheeks are growing sore from how wide he is smiling, but he thinks that’s barely something to be upset about.

 

He doesn’t even get the chance to be relieved that he and Taekwoon overcame such an obstacle because the second he presses send on the text to Hongbin, a knock comes at the front door. Hakyeon is only annoyed at first, but his frustration quickly transforms into weariness. He stills, listening carefully for a heartbeat and finding none, but he’s unsure of whether that’s a good thing or not. If a supernatural came to do them harm they certainly wouldn’t knock. Though, it never hurts to be careful.

“What is that?” Taekwoon asks, perking up and glancing between Hakyeon and the door.

“I’m not sure, Angel. I’ll go take care of it, but you should stay here,” the vampire suggests, already making his way towards the door. His first guess is that it’s Minhyuk or one of his employees coming for something business related. If it does turn out to be so simple he can just tell them that he’s already dealing with something and will just go to the feeder house when he’s free. He can only hope it’s that simple.

“Okay,” the angel nods as Hakyeon places his hand on the knob and pulls the door open. “Will you be okay?” Hakyeon hears the angel say, but it’s so unexpected he’s not positive he didn’t imagine it. He turns, the sudden knocking at the door seeming quiet in comparison to the loud pounding in Taekwoon’s chest. It was such a simple question, something that could be asked in passing or by a stranger, but, when the angel asked it, it felt like so much more. In a weird way, it felt like a promise. Hakyeon isn’t sure what it means.

“I will, don’t worry. I’ll come back to you,” Hakyeon tells him, another promise.

He steps out and shuts the door coolly before practically sprinting to the front of the house. Wonshik peeks his head out of his room and opens his mouth to speak, but Hakyeon raises a finger to his lips, as if that’s necessary with the way the house is spelled. “The silence charm from Jaehwan, put it on the angel’s door. Now.” Wonshik follows the orders, so quickly that he seems to flicker through the air, and returns to his room at Hakyeon’s demand. The knocking never ceases.

Finally, after forcing whatever is on the other side of the door to wait much too long, he swings it open, boasting faux arrogance in his stance and the way his chin is tipped up. Sadly, he finds that things are never so simple.

“And here I thought you were going to leave me out here,” Ilhoon grins, top lip curling and fangs protruding with pride. Hakyeon has to look down at him since the councilman is a few inches shorter, but his presence is anything but small. The other vampire’s presence used to be quite enjoyable before he joined Council, now it’s just foreboding. Council at one’s doorstep always meant one of two things, a courtesy call or a threat. Sometimes it was both wrapped into one pretty package. None of the options ever meant good news.

“My apologies,” Hakyeon replies, tipping his head in an act of submission. Looking down, he notices the subtle blood splatter on Ilhoon’s otherwise pristine white shirt. The blood is faded and scentless, probably old and left there for aesthetic. The black cape seemingly hanging onto his shoulders by a single thread doesn’t help save Ilhoon from vampire stereotypes either, really just ages him. He suits Council, but he doesn’t seem to suit himself, in Hakyeon’s opinion at least. He used to wear bright colors and light up every room with not only his clothes, but his wit. When Hakyeon saw him at get-togethers he’d crack jokes and act out scenes from plays just to be loud. He’d always played a lord quite well, Hakyeon recalls as he looks back up to the smug vampire standing before him.

“No need,” Ilhoon waves a hand as if to shoo the words away before returning it to the pocket of his slacks. “May I come in?” he asks, already stepping towards the door.

“Of course,” Hakyeon responds, only slightly panicked as he steps out of Ilhoon’s way. The councilman’s cape flows behind him dramatically and Hakyeon would have laughed, had he not been hiding an angel in his home. He shuts the door behind the other and follows him into his own home, standing to the side as Ilhoon leans against the back of the couch and crosses his legs in front of him. Hakyeon absently wonders if this is how Wonshik feels around him.

“This place is big, spelled as well. Are you still living with your child or have you simply grown pompous in death?”

“My child is still with me,” Hakyeon informs, biting back his minute annoyance, “I can go fetch him if you like.” The offer is purely a show of nonchalance, trying to prove he isn’t the least bit unnerved and has nothing to hide. He knows, logically, if Council were trying to intimidate him they wouldn’t have sent Ilhoon, who he has seen passed out on the floors of grimy bars with blood dripping down his chin. That fact gives the tan vampire a little hope for this visit.

“Ah, that won’t be necessary. Council holds you in high regard seeing as you’ve done us so many favors. I came as a gift, a courtesy call, if you will,” he starts, prompting Hakyeon to furrow his brows in confusion. He leans back against the wall and crosses his arms over his chest, hoping to look casual, if not a bit concerned, instead of defensive. Ilhoon doesn’t outwardly react, has no real reason to. “There’s been an incident in town, one that has prompted our presence.”

“Oh, what would that be?” Hakyeon asks, hoping Ilhoon isn’t going to say anything about an angel. It’s not possible for anyone to know, but Council isn’t just _anyone_ . They’re _everyone_. Or, they may as well be, seeing as they have eyes in places even the most attentive people find inconspicuous.

“The deaths of two vampires in your quiet city,” Ilhoon states, meeting Hakyeon’s eyes. It feels like someone just splashed ice water on Hakyeon’s face, or maybe injected it straight into his veins. Out of all the things he had been expecting, it wasn’t that. He wasn’t sure what to expect at all, too worried about Taekwoon’s safety to even consider his own. One vampire dead, that can happen even in this city Hakyeon supposes, but two is suspicious. Two is something dangerous. “Need not worry too much. It was only two young ones from a nest passing through, no one important to you, I’d assume. You know how unorganized nests are. Things can get messy,” Ilhoon says, though what he is trying to imply is as believable as Taekwoon’s existence. Nests get messy, yes, but the consequences of that never prompt a visit from Council, a _warning_ from Council. There is something else that he isn’t saying and, unfortunately, Hakyeon is in no place to pry.

“Council will take care of it, I assume,” Hakyeon replies casually, knowing it’s better to look too trusting than to seem as if he harbors one speck of doubt.

“Of course,” Ilhoon replies with a loud exhale, “Anyway, I’ve already spoken to Minhyuk and some others in town. Council isn’t keen on babysitting any humans though, so I’d recommend you’d keep an eye out for that shopkeep your child has taken an interest in.” Hakyeon bites the inside of his cheek. Of course, that’s something Council knows about. He nods once, but doesn’t speak, and Ilhoon smiles, merely as a courtesy. “We’ll be looking out for you, but I’d lay low for a few days until we can sort things out with this nest.”

“I will. Thank you,” Hakyeon returns his smile, fake and worried, but Ilhoon doesn’t comment on it. He just pushes himself off the couch and brushes off his lap with bare hands. The homeowner is only a little insulted.

“I must be going now. There is other business to attend to, as you can see.”

“Of course, thank you for coming, Councilman. I appreciate the information,” the nervous vampire tells him honestly as they make their way back to the front door. Ilhoon doesn’t respond, not verbally anyway, just lets out a breath of laughter before heading back outside. He doesn’t spare Hakyeon a second glance, just disappears into the night, sinking into the darkness that will only shield him from human eyes. Hakyeon shuts the door when he has gone, locking it with the deadbolt that hasn’t been touched in years.

 

Hakyeon rolls over in bed, feeling anxious and weirdly prickly. He doesn’t like knowing what happened, or rather not knowing the circumstances around what happened. Council wouldn’t come all the way to a small city because a few newborns died, not if it was just the consequences of an unorganized nest as Ilhoon implied. If it really wasn’t a big deal, Council wouldn’t have to lie and hide things, but, then again, Council has always been secretive. And so, Hakyeon is stuck in this endless loop.

He doesn’t feel good about lying to Taekwoon either. He’s not sure what he told the angel could be considered outright lies, but small technicalities won’t save him from his own guilt. He only said that someone above him came to tell him something and that there’s no need to worry. Taekwoon didn’t question him and Hakyeon was thankful, mostly because looking at the angel in that moment proved difficult. There was also the fact that he could practically feel Wonshik growing impatient from two rooms away.

He also doesn’t feel good about shutting Wonshik down the way he did, but he had nothing wise or comforting to say. Wonshik heard it all through the door, despite how many times the elder told him not to eavesdrop. He was concerned, had questions that Hakyeon couldn’t answer, so he just told the younger to sleep and assured him they’d discuss things the next night. He’s sure Wonshik isn’t sleeping either, probably blowing up Jaehwan’s phone with worried texts.

He sighs and rolls over again. The only thing he can find comfort in right now is the soft rhythmic beating of Taekwoon’s heart.

 

\------

 

Hakyeon lied to him tonight more or less, but Taekwoon can’t force himself to be hurt by it. He saw the worry in the vampire’s eyes and knew the other male took it upon himself to bear another burden for the angel’s sake. He carried it silently, with restless hands and bitten lips. So, Taekwoon can’t be hurt by the white lie. The only thing he can do at the moment is trust Hakyeon. All he has is Hakyeon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the minor character assassination of ilhoon but hey at least we got some uwu neo times


	10. Night 9- Bittersweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo mini character development and angst [sad whip]

\----—-

 

“Jaehwan’s shop has been packed,” is the first thing Wonshik says to him when Hakyeon enters his room. He supposes he shouldn’t be surprised that the younger male is worried about Jaehwan right now, but it still isn’t exactly what he was expecting from the other. “Everyone is going there to buy whatever they can, charms, potions, whatever. I really don’t get why Council is here. They’re just making trouble,” the younger complains as he scrolls through his phone. Hakyeon looks down his nose at the other, inconspicuously checking his child’s screen. Of course he’s going through his and Jaehwan’s texts. What else would Wonshik be doing at a time like this?

“Minhyuk said he thinks this is more than just a nest issue, and I agree. Everyone's a little freaked out and Jae can help with that, so I’m sure he’s going to be busy until this thing blows over,” he explains with a little less tact than he’d like. It only earns him a huff, causing the corners of Hakyeon’s lips turn down in a frown. “Whatever it is, Council will take care of it,” he adds, unsure of whether he’s trying to convince himself or Wonshik.

Council does good work, most of the time anyway, but when they do, it usually passes silently. They’ll brag after the work is done, of course, because what are vampires if not ostentatious? Still, they prefer to get things done quietly, so as not to prompt any interferences with their plan.

Somehow, the anxiety he felt when Taekwoon first came is nothing compared to now.

“Yeah, well, I don’t like it. He’s alone in there all night with strangers, strangers that aren’t even human.”

“You’re not human either,” Hakyeon points out before hesitating to add, “And neither are the targets of whatever is here committing homicide. I know you care for Jaehwan, as do I, but I also know you won’t do much good for him if you’re dead.”

Wonshik slowly lowers his hands to his sides then, lips parting then pressing into a firm line. The statement was bold, maybe too much so, but sometimes that’s just what it takes to get through to the younger. He’s a bundle of emotions, so tightly packed that anything he bumps into could easily be crushed under him, but he always means well. Hakyeon almost admires the childlike purity in it all, but Wonshik is much too old, has seen all too much, to be praised for his recklessness. Though, it never hurts Hakyeon any less when he has to act as a steel wall to force the younger to a stop, words so tough they crack his gracelessly hardened exterior in the process.

“Could you get one of the feeder house employees to check on him at least? I just- He’s dumb. Someone should check on him,” Wonshik finishes lamely, picking up his phone again to check for new messages from the witch. There aren’t any.

Hakyeon smiles down at him, more than a small bit sad, and pets a hand through the younger vampire’s hair. “Yeah, Shik, we’ll look out for him,” he assures, not missing the small smile at the elder’s comforting words.

“Thanks, Hakyeon,” he replies, tipping his head forward to rest against Hakyeon’s stomach. He lets out a chuckle and raises a hand to poke at the elder’s slim but, admittedly untoned, abdomen. Hakyeon allows it, but only because he’s proud of Wonshik for not storming out of the house to go to Jaehwan’s shop and act as the human’s deadly shadow. “Will you talk to Minhyuk now?”

“Yeah,” the elder breathes out a light laugh, leaning down to a press a kiss in Wonshik’s hair. The younger vampire grimaces, though Hakyeon knows he basks in the attention. He releases Wonshik from his clutches and steps away, but the younger can’t look at him. It’s almost expected now. Wonshik has trouble asking for help and, no matter how many times Hakyeon tells him it’s okay, the younger still avoids it until there’s no other choice. That’s just another thing that the elder will have to work on. At this point, he thinks he should make a physical to do list, but he doesn’t think there’s enough paper in the house for it and he cares all too much about interior design to write on the walls.

“Wait,” Wonshik calls as soon as Hakyeon moves to actually leave his room. “Did you tell Leo?” he asks, much to Hakyeon’s dismay. Wonshik wasn’t questioning him the same way he was last night, so he thought he was safe, but, evidently, he was wrong.

“In a way,” the elder breathes out, feeling dread creep up on him. He doesn’t miss the half curious, half disapproving look from the other, but he almost wishes he had. If he had, at least that way he could spare himself the guilt. “Why cause him to needlessly worry?” he asks, an excuse that would be obvious if Wonshik wasn’t dense.

“You basically just told me that I’m going to die if I visit Jaehwan. How can you say there’s no need to worry?” Wonshik scoffs, voice raised. Hakyeon knows it’s unfair, in Wonshik’s eyes at least, but he can’t be bothered by that right now. Taekwoon, uninformed, poses no threat and he might step back if he knew everything. Hakyeon doesn’t want to sacrifice the progress they’ve made up to this point when things are seemingly _decent_ at the moment.

“Wonshik,” Hakyeon frowns, but pauses his speech when Wonshik raises a hand.

“If it’s another lecture I don’t want to hear it. You’re babying him and for what? Because you like him?”

“Why do you keep saying that?” Hakyeon asks, doing his best to keep his voice level instead of shouting back at his child. He wants to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible because Taekwoon overhearing them would make this whole argument utterly pointless, but at the same time telling Wonshik to quiet down would only add fuel to the fire.

“Because,” Wonshik just about yells, but completely silences himself when Taekwoon’s heartbeat suddenly grows louder. It’s only a dull, distant thump, but the fact that they can hear it now without actually listening is concerning in itself. He left his room, probably due to Wonshik’s yelling, but apparently, this isn’t enough to deter the younger vampire. “Because he likes you and he told me that, more or less, so don’t even try to act like it’s me assuming things,” he continues, though his voice is much quieter now.

“I- Are you sure?” Hakyeon stumbles, unable to believe the words coming out of the younger’s mouth. He didn’t even know that he and the angel were close, or talked at all, really. Is he supposed to believe that they’re sharing secrets now and that one of those secrets includes Taekwoon having feelings for Hakyeon beyond simple tolerance?

“Hakyeon,” Wonshik prompts, voice firm and enunciating each word as he goes on to say, “Do you like him?”

Hakyeon has never actually thought about it, never questioned his feelings beyond affection for the pretty thing he’s caring for. He wants to say the answer is no, that he absolutely doesn’t have feelings for Taekwoon, but his mouth runs dry when he tries to speak. He clears his throat and looks into Wonshik’s eyes before saying, “I don’t.”

“You hesitated.”

“I’m not doing this with you right now. I have things to do, such as text Minhyuk,” Hakyeon states, effectively putting an end to the conversation. “Stay inside and don’t cause trouble. Please,” he instructs, or rather pleads, expecting the silence when it falls over the room. He slips out of Wonshik’s room with no more words said, no professions of love, and closes the door behind him. “I don’t,” he repeats to himself, feeling strangely off balance.

 

\----------

 

“You don’t what?” Taekwoon asks, watching from his spot in the doorway as the vampire rushes out of Wonshik’s room. Hakyeon’s eyes raise from the floor and he freezes, looking to Taekwoon as if he had just seen a ghost. He supposes an angel is just as shocking.

Either way, something is definitely wrong. First, there was the yelling that drew the white-haired male out of his room, now there is the awkward line of Hakyeon’s mouth and the way all of his movements are just a little too stilted, vampiric. Taekwoon thinks that a smarter angel would still be in the bedroom, hoping and praying that a seemingly angry vampire wouldn’t even take half a second to acknowledge their presence. Taekwoon is, admittedly, not a smart angel.

“Are you okay?” Taekwoon asks, letting his hands slip away from door frame that he was half hidden behind and stepping forward.

Hakyeon bites his lip at that, fangs stabbing into his soft bottom lip harshly and causing blood to bead at the surface. He says something under his breath, something that seems vulgar and coiled with self pity. Taekwoon isn’t sure what it means, but his heart aches for the vampire. He knows that that feeling is called empathy now, but he doesn’t know what to do about it. It’s not as simple as threading a needle this time. The only thing he can think to do now is to cross the living room and heal the vampire’s lip, bring him the only small amount of relief he can.

He doesn’t though, he knows Hakyeon would have done it, probably wouldn’t hesitate to do something much grander. He’s not Hakyeon though, so he stands frozen, waiting for the other male to speak.

“I’m fine, Angel,” he says, though his voice is laced with tension. “There are some things going on, nothing you have to worry about, just vampire things. I don’t like things being out of my control, but as long as you and Wonshik are okay, then I’m okay.” His eyes are softer now, though more tired as well, and they’re practically dripping gold. It flusters Taekwoon, makes a chill run down his spine despite the warm feeling rising in his cheeks.

“When you say things like that,” Taekwoon trails off, growing shy at the vampire’s selfless statement. Hakyeon is beautiful in his selflessness and it never fails to embarrass the angel, short circuits his brain and makes it difficult to speak. He doesn’t know if he should continue speaking though, because anything that comes out of his mouth now won’t be anything of worth. Wonshik told him that the fluttery feeling in his stomach doesn’t matter in this situation, whatever that means. He keeps his mouth shut.

“Does it make you uncomfortable?” Hakyeon prompts.

“No, you’re just- You’re beautiful,” he tells the vampire, inexplicably feeling like his heart is going to jump out of his chest. He’s not sure what he’s expecting from the vampire, but it’s not a sad smile. Hakyeon is silent for a few moments and raises a hand to wipe the blood that threatens to drip down from his lip, sucking the scarlet liquid into his mouth before dropping his hand to his side again. Taekwoon should be disgusted. He’s not.

“As are you, sweet angel,” Hakyeon breathes out, “If you’ll excuse me, there is much to take care of.”

“Okay,” is all Taekwoon can manage.

 

———-

 

Hakyeon is so fucked.

 

Simply focusing proves to be more difficult than it should be, so much so that he considers abandoning his task altogether. After practically hiring a babysitter for a grown man, namely Jaehwan, he figured he’d try to do some research. Unfortunately, where Council is involved, information isn’t so easily accessible. The existence of Council truly is an enigma, so secretive yet so boastful.

It doesn’t help that his thoughts drift to Taekwoon every time he thinks he’s finally gotten the angel off of his mind either. If he were just worried about the angel, innocent and caring, he doesn’t think he’d be so frustrated with himself. Instead, his mind is preoccupied with making a drama-like montage of all the moments between Hakyeon and the angel that could have led to this. It’s equally endearing as it is annoying.

He has never been one that was okay just ignoring problems, not that he’d ever refer to Taekwoon as a _problem_ , not explicitly anyways, but he really has no solutions for this _situation._ The more troubling factor than Taekwoon’s apparently very real feelings for him, is the reflection of those feelings.

Hakyeon loves Taekwoon, loves him dearly, and it took the most emotionally constipated immortal alive to make him realize. The first time Wonshik asked about his feelings for Taekwoon, he hadn’t actually thought about it. He simply dismissed the question and did his best to comfort Wonshik without considering it for a second. If he had, then maybe he would have realized earlier and handled this. Maybe he didn’t even love Taekwoon then, or maybe he loved Taekwoon from the first time he set eyes on the beautiful creature. Who knows?

It feels overwhelming and suffocating, but also like the most _right_ thing in the world. He knows the only thing he can do right now is ignore it because of, just, _everything._ Even if they ignore what they are, there are too many other problems. The goal is to get Taekwoon back to Heaven safely, and Hakyeon refuses to let romance and sentiments get in the way of that; He tells himself that anyway.

For now at least, he exists to protect those he cares about.

 

The next small stretch of time passes similarly, similarly meaning equally as bad. He feels he’s swimming with his head just above the water, barely staying afloat and no land in sight. Instead of calming down, he grows more stressed as time passes. His own feelings, he can ignore those, try to at least, but he can’t deal with such a large threat being so far out of his grasp. He knows absolutely nothing, couldn’t even try to guess who, or what, is out there killing vampires. He doesn’t enjoy feeling trapped, but trapped he is and he doesn’t know how to change that fact.

He can only sit back and let Council handle this mystery threat. It makes him want to scream or cry or, again, implode on Wonshik. Though, Wonshik is probably still upset with him for mostly unknown reasons, so that’s just another thing he has to deal with.

Maybe he was right to think things would fall apart after he left the angel’s room, that’s what it feels like right now at least.

The part of him that isn’t compelled to scream into the night, curse at anything that will listen, human neighbors be damned, wants to march back into Taekwoon’s room and spend the day there. He’d even sit in that stiff chair all day just to be closer to the angel. Taekwoon’s heartbeat feels safe, calming. The steady rhythm of it is nothing like that of a clock, not unsettling or stressful, but rather a feeling that Hakyeon wants to sink into and lose time in. He doesn’t think it would do him any real good though, so he rubs his temples and tries to find something else to focus on.

Luckily or unluckily enough, in the middle of scanning his room for things to do, Taekwoon’s voice breaks the silence. “Hakyeon,” he murmurs, “I’m going to go play the piano.”

Hakyeon perks up in his seat, only sitting for half a second before realizing this is the perfect distraction, and practically flashes to his door. He and Taekwoon both step out of their rooms at the same time, a slightly awkward encounter even to Hakyeon, even more so with the new information. Still, he puts a smile on his cracked lip and asks, “Was that an invitation, Angel?”

“I-No, but you can come listen if you’d like,” Taekwoon offers, shy and sweet.

“I’d love to,” Hakyeon smiles, genuine this time.

 

———-

 

It’s more nerve-wracking than Taekwoon had anticipated it would be, to play the piano for Hakyeon. Even with Hakyeon out of his direct line of sight, his own eyes instead focused on the keys in front of him, it’s still uncomfortable. It’s not so much so that he’s embarrassed over his skill level, but rather that’s he’s impossibly nervous to let the vampire in on things that he shouldn’t.

Taekwoon plays with sincerity, doesn’t know many songs and rather plays what he feels. It doesn’t help that being in this room again brings the conversation with Wonshik to the forefront of his mind again.

Taekwoon wanted to believe that ‘like liking’ Hakyeon meant nothing and the angel would either quit feeling that way or just get used to it. Neither of those things were true though. He’d done something foolish, utterly reckless, but he doesn’t regret it in the least. He wants to take it further and slip his hand into Hakyeon’s, wants to feel the warmth that radiates off the vampire pressed against his cool skin and hold him close. Part of him thinks that, if he were to do such a thing, he’d turn to gold. Looking at Hakyeon, so undeniably ethereal, it’s easy to believe he’d have the touch of Midas.

“Was there something you needed, Angel?” Hakyeon asks softly, face rested against the palm of his hand and raven black hair kissing his cheekbones. Taekwoon blinks at him, confused as to when he even brought his attention away from the keys. “You okay?” the vampire prompts, lifting his head and looking to the angel with worry in the line of his brows.

“I was just thinking,” Taekwoon tells him. Hakyeon just hums and nods in understanding. The vampire’s eyes are focused on him in a way that makes his cheeks heat up and his heart beat faster in his chest. He swallows hard, and sets a steely gaze on his fingers hovering over the piano keys. Perhaps it’ll be okay if he just lets himself play.

He feels strangely exposed, like he had gifted his heart to Hakyeon instead of a song. Even as he plays he finds it hard to completely give himself to the music. As big a presence as Hakyeon’s is unforgettable, crowding his space despite being halfway across the room. He yearns for Hakyeon, such a foreign feeling that he could never even attempt to put into words. All words seem dim in comparison to what he feels, but the song seems right, visceral and raw.

Stupidly, he chances a glance at the vampire, regretting it the second he does. He finds that it’s easy to underestimate the weight of a glance. Hakyeon is looking at him, like the angel is so much more than what he is, like he’s the moon and all the stars in the sky, but the smile on the vampire’s face is pained. His cheeks are damp, as are the sleeves of his grey sweater, and it _hurts._

His finger slips in his stupefied state, and he lets out a quiet gasp when the wrong note plays out. It’s shrill and jarring, not unlike the sight of Hakyeon with the poorly hidden remnants of tears. He corrects it though, plays something simple yet longing, and pushes the song to an end. The last note resonates, seems to bounce off the walls and reverberate in his chest, until it fades to a dull and uncomfortable quiet.

“You’re absolutely incandescent,” Hakyeon says, or rather chokes out considering the roughness of his voice, throat probably sore from holding back tears. He takes a moment, lowers his eyes as he clears his throat, and Taekwoon is thankful because he is flustered as well. He takes a deep breath, a shuddery sigh escaping his lips and, when the vampire looks back up to him, neither of them are much more put together than they were before. Hakyeon still smiles though, less forced this time. “I could listen to you play all night, Taekwoon,” he adds with that same look in his eyes.

He wishes he was deserving of such— such, fondness, Taekwoon will say. He doesn’t know what to call it, has never experienced it before. Whatever it is, he knows he shouldn’t be on the receiving end. Hakyeon just cried, busted his lip out of stress just an hour or so prior, and Taekwoon has said nothing, done nothing. Hakyeon would have, but that’s because the vampire deserves the world, deserves all the kindness he hands out to others and so much more.

“Thank you,” is all Taekwoon says in response, disappointing even to himself.

He supposes it’s fine though, because there’s a dinging sound coming from Hakyeon’s phone that interrupts the moment. Hakyeon perks up, not quite joyful, more like he has just realized something, and hurries to stand. “You’re welcome, but please excuse me. There is something I must tend to.”

“Is everything alright?” he asks

“Of course, Angel,” and, with that, Hakyeon leaves him alone in the room. It gives him a sour sort of deja vu, recalling how similarly things went earlier.

Hakyeon is quite the beautiful liar, Taekwoon thinks.

 

\---------

 

Hakyeon thinks the universe must have a thing for small mercies. Things were going so horribly. He was feeling pathetic and completely helpless for the first time in a long time. Then, the darling angel welcomed Hakyeon to the piano room with him and played a song as beautiful as he is.

It hurt, seeing the way Taekwoon hunched over the ivory keys, swaying and letting his eyes fall shut delicately in contrast to his deeply furrowed brows, while playing such a heartbreaking melody. Hakyeon himself had always preferred dance to playing instruments or composing, never quite understood how anything could be more expressive than physically showing what he feels. He thinks he gets it now though. Every note that was played he _felt_ and it made him _want._ He couldn’t bear to be in that room a second longer, not when he _wanted_ so badly and Taekwoon looked like the embodiment of temptation in the most innocent of forms-- if temptation could be so innocent.

The best thing to happen tonight is getting that notification from Netflix recommending some new movie to him, the second best thing was that he was a quick enough thinker to use it as an excuse. If he were to stay in there with Taekwoon, a creature whose existence seemed to demand love, Hakyeon might have just about pounced on him. To kiss the back of his hand and press love into him with gentle fingertips on his skin would be a privilege.

Wanting something he can’t have is a foreign feeling to him, or, well, he used to know it very well, but it has grown unfamiliar since then.

He groans and flops back onto his bed, the realization that he has much more real problems to deal with solidifying inside him like the wax of a cooling candle. Perhaps he should actually do something about that, protect the love he just had a minor breakdown over. He should also make things up to Wonshik as well, even though he’s not quite sure why the younger vampire is upset with him. He sits up again and picks up his phone, comforts himself for lying to Taekwoon by actually finding something to tend to.


	11. Night 10- Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning that this chapter is kind of emotionally heavy and there are several mentions of blood

\------

 

Hearing Hakyeon muttering curses before the elder even gets to his room is probably a bad sign if Wonshik does say so himself. He supposes that, had he taken a moment to think about the possibility that things would go this badly, or anything other than his need to be with Jaehwan really, he might not have made the call. Evidently, thinking is not his strong suit, and now Hakyeon is storming into his room with an entire lecture sitting on his tongue.

Wonshik sits back in his swivel chair and spins to face his own personal doom that has just arrived at his door. 

“Kim Wonshik, do you listen to a word I say?” Hakyeon greets him oh-so-kindly. 

“I do, Hakyeon,” Wonshik replies curtly, holding back a sigh. He is uninterested in this fight. He has places to be.

“Then what part of you thought it was a good idea to go behind my back and ask for a ride to Jaehwan’s place when I  _ just _ told you how dangerous that could be? You know I only want to protect you, Wonshik, everything I do is to protect you. Must you be so difficult?” he rambles, fire in his eyes as much as his words. It burns to hear those things, but more than being simply hurtful, they’re frustrating. He knows it’s dangerous, that’s why he asked Minhyuk. The vampire’s underlings were going to look over Jaehwan anyway and they’re well equipped. Even if they weren’t, Wonshik isn’t a baby. He’s perfectly capable of defending himself, defending Jaehwan.

“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” he half lies. He knew Hakyeon would be angry when he would eventually find out, but Wonshik was expecting that to be some time after he had left and was already with Jaehwan, keeping him safe. If he would have thought about it, he would have expected this, expected them to call and confirm with Hakyeon. Again, thinking doesn’t seem to be his strong suit. 

“Did you think at all?” Hakyeon asks. Wonshik doesn’t answer that one. “You think Jaehwan would ever be able to live with himself if he knew you got attacked or worse, died, on the way to hover over his shoulder and hiss at everyone that comes through the door? You know him better than me, Shik, so tell me. Would he be quite so pleased?”

“You’re just being dramatic now, Hakyeon,” he retorts, feeling irritation bubble inside him. 

“How am I being dramatic when  _ you  _ were the one prepared to sacrifice your safety, your life, because you felt a little uneasy?”

“You’re going to look at me and say that when you’ve been gambling both of those things since Leo came here? My life is on the line here because you thought a guy was pretty. Is that not being dramatic, Hakyeon?” Wonshik stands up, yelling now. Hakyeon’s shoulders have already slumped, the will to fight seeping out of him with each word out of the younger’s mouth. Wonshik would stop here, should stop here, but he can’t stand it. He’s scared for fuck’s sake. 

He’s in love Hakyeon in a way that only he can be, the kind of love specifically reserved for the beautiful creature that created him, and he appreciates this life, the second chance he was given. Though his rebirth was forced upon him based on the fact that Hakyeon found him pretty, probably, he doesn’t resent Hakyeon for what he did that night. He could never hate the elder, but the same can’t be promised in the angel’s case. 

Wonshik is dumb, bad with emotions, he will admit those things, but Hakyeon obviously loves Leo and has already decided to risk it all for him. If things go badly and Leo comes to hate him for the actions he’s already taken and the decisions he hasn’t yet made, Hakyeon would break. Wonshik knows because he, too, nearly broke Hakyeon. He can’t handle it, doesn’t even want to think about how hollow and frail his maker seemed back then, and he doesn’t want to fucking die because of it. Hakyeon can’t go soft now because Wonshik is scared of the supposed hunters and whatever trouble could come to them for hoarding Leo and, though he’d never admit it, he desperately needs Hakyeon to be the strong one. 

So, he can forgive himself for being so harsh this one time.

Besides, he really wants to see Jaehwan. 

“You’re not going to turn this conversation on me,” Hakyeon insists after too long a pause. “Leo is not the issue here. Rather, it’s your disobedience and the fact that you won’t just stay here like I’ve ordered you to. You need not be so reckless, Child. It wouldn’t do you any good to start a fight when you haven’t the slightest clue how to end it.”

“Bullshit, Hakyeon. You know, it’s funny that you slip into your old speak when you’re angry considering the fact that you’re acting like a complete fucking toddler right now. I know you’re the careful one, but how careful is sitting back and waiting to be slaughtered? You can’t just sit back and play house with Leo. You can’t just  _ do nothing _ .”

Wonshik is alight with anger, can’t stay in one place anymore, can’t ignore the hurried beating of Leo’s heart anymore. He needs to be out of this house, vampire murderers be damned, so he starts out of his room. He intentionally knocks his shoulder into Hakyeon’s and, though it doesn’t actually move the older, stronger vampire, it does earn him a scoff of indignation. He storms off to the kitchen, not commenting on the angel’s barely shut bedroom door, and  _ feels  _ rather than hears Hakyeon trailing behind him.

“The fact that you think I’ve done nothing shows how little you actually know,” Hakyeon replies, still not matching the volume of Wonshik’s voice. That’s quite frustrating too. Wonshik doesn’t reply, mostly because, now that he’s out of his room, the angel’s pulse is so much louder and he really needs to get out of this damn house. “Frankly, Wonshik, you’re completely out of line. I hate to pull this card, but you need to remember your place and who you’re talking to.”

He pulls the fridge open so forcefully the entire appliance slides quite a few inches and reaches in so quickly that he doubts his arm is actually visible to anyone but him. He needs blood, needs to drown his anger before real bloodlust tries to rise to the surface with it. He barely has the capacity to truly focus on Hakyeon’s words anymore, formulate a decent response.

Instead of taking the time to  _ think _ , he grabs a second blood bag from the fridge and flickers to the door. 

“Are you just ignoring me now, Wonshik? I’m your maker and you’re going to listen to me. You’re not leaving this house.”

He turns once he’s thrusted it open and says, “I’m leaving and if you follow me I swear to god I will actively seek out those killers.” Hakyeon scoffs, says something else that’s not audible over Leo’s heart beating and the devil on his shoulder ordering him to do something foolish, more foolish than what he’s already decided on doing. He can’t help but listen. “Also, if you’re going to pull the ‘I’m your maker’ card, then maybe you should fucking act like it,” he adds before tossing his second blood bag to Hakyeon. He leaves in a flash, hoping the elder will actually take his threat seriously and, if not, is too preoccupied with the blood bag to catch up to him right away. 

 

\--------

 

Instead of a bag filled with a pint or so of blood bursting at his feet, it rather feels like a bomb went off. More than just his sense of smell is flooded with  _ blood _ , he can feel it pooling at his feet and seeping into his pant legs, can see red in his peripherals, taste the potency of the magic in it on his tongue, and can hear Taekwoon’s pulse so loudly in his ears it could be mistaken for his own. It’s all so intense yet so cloudy that it disorients the nearly three century old creature. 

It’s his own fault, for not feeding sooner, but hindsight won’t help him here. He can only stand still, every part of him coiled so tightly it hurts, just so he doesn’t chance losing control. If he were alone, he might be able to allow such a thing, seeing as the nearest blood is in the fridge and by the time he’d finished a bag or two the bloodlust would have died down to a something easily controllable. He’s not alone though, Taekwoon is here with his beating heart, and Hakyeon’s body yearns to tear into his skin, suck out the blood lying underneath the perfectly porcelain surface. His mind though, the small bit of lucidity that he has left, is unbelievably terrified of that possibility. Therefore, he won’t move. If needed, he’ll wait for the damn Call of the Sun to drag him into slumber. 

He closes his eyes, focusing everything on calming himself, but the blood seems to be taunting him. The scent, the taste, is dancing through the air like a whisper spoken in a crowded room. It’s there, definitely, one can feel the breath puffing against their ear, but the words are incomprehensible. 

His face feels hot whereas his limbs feel so heavy that they’re almost numb, like his body is urging him to just give up so the worst part of him will take over. He won’t allow it, can’t allow it. He despises this, bloodlust turning the normally comforting beating of the angel’s heart into a taunt, a temptation in the least innocent of ways. 

But then there are cool palms being pressed to his cheeks and thumbs softly wiping away the wetness there. He gasps and tries to speak, wanting to tell Taekwoon to run and save himself from the beast dwelling beneath Hakyeon’s skin, but it only comes out as a whimper. When his eyes open he finds Taekwoon’s face mere inches from his own, eyes gleaming with a mix of fright and hope, and it’s hard to look anywhere else, focus on anything else.

“Hakyeon, I’m here. Come with me, please,” Taekwoon pleads, one hand sliding down from Hakyeon’s face to his arm until their fingers are laced together. He steps backwards, never looking away from the vampire’s eyes, and tugs lightly. Hakyeon, a dazed fool, allows himself to be pulled despite how hard he was trying to keep himself still just moments prior. 

He was worried,  _ worried  _ being the understatement of the century, but looking at Taekwoon like this, he knows he could never hurt the angel even in his worst state. He releases the tension in his muscles only a small amount and lets Taekwoon lead him into his room, away from the blood. The dazed feeling fades with each step, but it doesn’t dissolve completely. The bloodlust is still there, incessantly clawing at the back of his mind and under his skin, when Taekwoon spins them in order to push his door closed. 

“I-I’m dangerous,” Hakyeon murmurs, still not quite all there. 

Taekwoon squeezes his hand and caresses his cheek again as he says, “I know.” The way he says it gives away no real emotion, just seems  _ sure _ , absolute. It’s stunning coming from the angel, who seemed to have anxiety dripping off of almost every word and movement previous to this. His heart rate doesn’t give him away either, perhaps a few beats too quick, but not racing, not as fast as it was just minutes earlier. Confidence is dazzling on Taekwoon and Hakyeon finds the new sense of security in his eyes easy to sink into. 

“Are you okay?” Taekwoon asks after a few beats of silence, giving Hakyeon time to clear his mind. The dizziness is still present, but Hakyeon can actually function, doesn’t feel so much like he’s burning anymore. He squeezes Taekwoon’s hand back, if only to confirm that such a beautiful thing actually exists in front of him like he does. 

“I am now. Thank you, Angel,” he manages. He wants to say more, ask a million questions. How did the angel know he needed help? Did he know why? Why did he touch Hakyeon? How did he think that would work? Why did any of this happen? Does Taekwoon know too, that this is love--

But, his phone is ringing now and when he pulls it out of his pocket he finds Minhyuk’s name on the screen. It could be a very good or very bad sign considering, well, everything. Either way, it’d be best not to miss it.

“Hello,” he greets, trying not to sound too frantic. 

“Hey, I got a call from one of the employees I sent to Jaehwan’s place. Wonshik just got there and, physically, he’s fine, but the same can’t be said about his mental state. He said you two argued. Is everything okay?” Minhyuk informs, furrow in his brows apparent even through the phone. Hakyeon breathes out a sigh of relief, mindlessly dropping his head forward onto Taekwoon’s shoulder. Wonshik is okay. 

“Things are  _ tense  _ with Council in town and such. It’ll be fine,” Hakyeon lies, much too easily. Minhyuk will believe it, Hakyeon already knows, but that doesn’t mean he’s pleased.

“Alright, well, I’ll make sure he gets home safe, so that’s one less thing you have to worry about. I’ll have him dropped off later and, hold on,” Minhyuk pauses to sigh. “Come in,” he calls, distant and not directed at Hakyeon. There is some shuffling then a small knock, like Minhyuk put the phone down. “Is anyone dead?” the businessman asks, sounding bored.

“I-No, but-” an unfamiliar voice replies. 

“Are we in critical danger?” 

“No.”

“Then you can assume I already have it handled. I’m in the middle of a phone call so you should be thankful I even took the time to look upon you. We will continue this later. You’re dismissed,” Minhyuk finishes with a quiet hum and Hakyeon, again, wonders if this is what he sounds like to Wonshik. A door opens, closes, and Minhyuk sighs. “Sorry, the younger ones are scared so I’m playing things up. I should probably go now, but you should make an appointment soon. I worry for you.”

“Yeah, I’ll talk to you later, Minhyuk. Thank you,” Hakyeon says before the call goes dead and he drops his hand to his side again. Minhyuk is right and Hakyeon isn’t too pleased with that either, not when it comes to this anyway. 

He sighs for what must be the millionth time and lets himself relish in the fact that the angel is still here, hasn’t run away from him yet despite the complete mess surrounding him. God, there really is so much to do. “Not even eternity is a sufficient bound of time for the list of things I must do,” he complains, more to himself than to Taekwoon.

The angel doesn’t speak, but his free hand comes up to the back of Hakyeon’s neck, cold fingers causing him to shiver as they play with the hairs there. Distantly, he wonders if  _ forever  _ would feel so long with Taekwoon at his side. 

 

\------

 

“Wonshik, you can relax,” Jaehwan breathes out a laugh as he reaches out a hand to ruffle the vampire’s hair. Wonshik is still upset, but he allows himself to be ruffled only because he thinks the human might be comforted by it. He swears that’s the only reason. “You’re gonna scare off the customers,” Jaehwan adds, turning to completely face Wonshik, who has been glued to his side since he arrived. He claps his hands over the vampire’s cheeks with too much force to be considered gentle or comforting. “You’re okay, you big dummy. There are two other vampires at the door and Hakyeon is going to forgive you. So, please, let me make money.”

“Fine,” Wonshik concedes, stepping back and seating himself in the desk chair just a few feet away. He ignores Jaehwan’s poorly hushed laughter in favor of sulking.

“Thank you,” Jaehwan smiles, eyes crinkling cutely. 

The bell above the door jingles, alerting Jaehwan to a new customer. He spins around, flashing that same warm smile at the stranger entering the shop. Wonshik grumbles and sinks back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest and refusing to look anywhere but the side of Jaehwan’s head. “Hello,” Jaehwan greets, bright and, again, cute. 

“Good evening. I don’t suppose you’re Jaehwan,” a familiar voice says, one that he’s come to dread hearing. He jumps up, whipping his head towards the door and finding the one vampire he didn’t want to see. “Oh, Wonshik, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Ilhoon says casually as he leans forward onto the glass counter. He’s in Jaehwan’s space now, but the human doesn’t falter. He maintains his grin and looks down at the the councilman, not even flinching when Wonshik creeps up to his side and puts a hand on his shoulder. 

“I thought you had no interest in babysitting humans,” Wonshik asks, voice carefully monotone and lack of an attitude. Though, his mind is reeling. Council has no business with Jaehwan, shouldn’t even have the right to be around him. They’re the harbinger of death, in Wonshik’s eyes at least, and if they refuse to protect the human then they shouldn’t get involved in his life any other way. Jaehwan is supposed to be separate from this, safe under Wonshik’s watchful eye, and if Council gets involved that is no longer a guarantee. 

“I’m here for personal reasons, Silly. I just wanted to see what kind of human runs a shop for supernaturals,” he replies simply with mischevy in his smile as he looks back to Jaehwan. “You’re him?”

“I am,” Jaehwan responds, matching the casual tone. “What can I do for you tonight?”

“You’re not curious as to who I am?” Ilhoon asks, sounding slightly hurt, though his eyes are swimming with amusement. Of course, Ilhoon would be insulted by something like that. Of course, he’d come into Jaehwan’s shop without a care in the world and lean unnecessarily close to the human. It’s not that Wonshik is jealous, but there’s just no need to be that close. Plus, Council irks him.

He wishes Hakyeon were here.

“Should I be?” the human witch asks playfully. His heart rate is even, but hidden under the counter, out of Ilhoon’s line of sight, he’s urgently tugging at Wonshik’s sleeve. Wonshik thinks it’s quite the fancy trick Jaehwan has, keeping his breathing and his pulse steady even as he’s panicking. An even fancier trick that the man has is reading palms, if it could be called that. It’s more like reading one’s mind through a palm, something Wonshik wasn’t aware witches had the ability to do at first and has been a nuisance to him in the past. 

He grasps Jaehwan’s hand and opens his mind to the witch. He does his best not to let his memories of past experiences rise up now and get in the way of delivering information to Jaehwan. Though, it’s hard not to recall the way Jaehwan used to inconspicuously slip his hand into Wonshik’s, back when the vampire had no idea about the power behind a witch’s touch, and bring things Wonshik never spoke of up in a casual conversation later. Wonshik had always just assumed that Hakyeon told the witch those things, but evidently not, and now Jaehwan knows all too much about his inner workings. Weirdly enough, Wonshik finds that he misses it, holding hands with Jaehwan, if the mind reading part were to be ignored.

“Anyway,” Ilhoon starts again and thankfully redirects Wonshik’s train of thought. He thinks hard about the councilman, who he is and what he does. From Wonshik’s knowledge he isn’t actually that high up, just a lackey with the title of Councilman and all of the ego. He was different in the past, used to be acquainted with Hakyeon back when Wonshik first came into the picture. It could be said that he wasn’t too happy about the way Hakyeon was being treated by the younger vampire, but he probably doesn’t continue to hold that grudge. Wonshik hopes. He’d be harmless if not for the power of the information he made it his business to attain, his and Council’s. Anyway, his presence isn’t good news.

“Running this shop alone must be a hassle. What kind of customers do you get? Vampires? Demons? Werewolves?” Jaehwan simply nods his head with each question. “And you hold no fear for these creatures? Isn’t that quite foolish?”

“I’m doing them a service. Wouldn’t it be more foolish to kill me?” Jaehwan chuckles, nonchalant as he pulls his hand out of Wonshik’s. He seems content with whatever information he secured, but then again, finding Jaehwan without some semblance of a smile playing at his lips is as rare as a total eclipse. He’s beautiful. 

“You truly are a wonder,” Ilhoon states in a tone that suggests he’s simply thinking aloud. He straightens up and turns, quite dramatically if Wonshik says so. He looks around the shop, examining every inch visible without actually snooping around then makes a small ‘hm’ sound, emotions unidentifiable. Wonshik is offended on behalf of Jaehwan. 

The bell jingles again and everyone, everyone besides Wonshik, looks to it. “I suppose I should get going so as not to interfere with your dealings,” Ilhoon sighs loudly before adding, “A word of advice, Jaehwan, your attack dog there is no good for business.” Wonshik holds back a scoff, barely.

“Thanks, I’ll take that into consideration,” Jaehwan laughs, probably oblivious to the fact that Ilhoon was barely joking, if at all. Ilhoon, quite literally, flashes a smile, only on his face for a second or so before returning to his unreadable expression. He nods at Wonshik once before starting for the door and exiting the shop. “Hello,” Jaehwan smiles at the new customer, a stranger. 

Wonshik steps back again, still uneasy, but he doesn’t think Jaehwan would be too happy if he were to drive away an actual customer. He takes his seat and slouches into it, pondering what things Jaehwan has experienced that would leave him so fearless. He knows Jaehwan’s grew up into this business since this shop was his grandparents’, then his parents’, before becoming his. Wonshik also knows that things between supernaturals and humans weren’t always so civil, if they were considered so now. The witch is only in his 20’s, but Wonshik wouldn’t be surprised if he were to have seen more horror than most of the creatures that enter this building. It makes him want to protect Jaehwan even more, stay by his side until Jaehwan is sick of him and maybe even after that. Bitterly, he thinks he will just have to settle for this for now, acting as Jaehwan’s ‘attack dog’. 

Wonshik really wishes Hakyeon were here. 

 

\-------

 

Taekwoon is conflicted. Everything he has been taught in his nearly 400 years of life goes against everything here, everything he has seen, everything he has done. At this point he’s sure he should be fearful, the Gods or the Old Ones could be watching, testing him. He’s already done enough to get him damned, just the fact that he thought of Hakyeon before what human’s blood was spilled on the floor is enough to damn him, but he doesn’t regret a second of any of it. Well, he does regret a few things, like not trusting Hakyeon sooner and taking so long to fully let go of his prejudice. Being close to Hakyeon, trusting him, and touching him are all things Taekwoon finds comfort in. The longer he’s here, the more he experiences, it makes him wonder if any of that, the Gods and the Old Ones and the rules, even matters.

From where he is standing, it doesn’t appear so.

Maybe it’s disgusting for him to feel this way, but he simply can’t be bothered by that. He’s tired of calculating each of his actions and weighing which ones would be harmful to him in the long run. He wants to simply exist at Hakyeon’s side. The vampire is breathtakingly beautiful and kinder than any angel in Heaven. Why would he resist such a thing? 

A sound, familiar and heart wrenching, interrupts his thought process. He freezes, trying to listen harder to confirm if he actually heard right or if it was just his mind bringing back the events from earlier. He wonders just how heavy of a burden Hakyeon is bearing for him. 

Unfortunately, after a few moments, there’s another sound that is all too similar to Hakyeon’s sobs. He stands up, no longer taking the time to weigh possible consequences, and pushes his door open a bit to peek out. Hakyeon notices him immediately, looking up so quickly it seemed as if he was expecting the angel, and raises a hand to wipe the tears off of his face. He smiles, that same sad smile he’s been adorning more and more as time goes on. Taekwoon wants to change it, make it into something happier, more genuine, but he doesn’t know how to do that. He thinks Hakyeon would know, had their roles been reversed.

“Do you need something, Taekwoon? I’m sorry, I wasn’t really listening for my name this time,” Hakyeon apologizes, wiping his face once more and bringing attention to the red tint on his lips. Taekwoon’s lips part in a silent gasp, can’t help being shocked at the sight. He knew, knows, what Hakyeon is, but being faced with the reality of is more unsettling than he’d like to admit. “Taekw-” the vampire starts, but is cut off by Taekwoon swiping a thumb over his lips.

Hakyeon flinches, eyes widening now that it’s his turn to be surprised. He stares at Taekwoon for a few beats, making the angel more nervous with each second that passes, then down to the hand that wiped his mouth. Taekwoon looks down as well, finding a small smudge of red there. Hakyeon picks up the wet, blood stained rag off of the floor and wipes the angel’s hand with it, movements jittery compared to his usual vampiric grace.

After clearing his throat, he says, “I’m afraid this isn’t what I meant when I said red is a lovely color on you.” He breathes out and sits back on his knees, eyes still lowered. Absently, Taekwoon wonders where the blood came from, whose blood he drank, but those thoughts are much quieter than those screaming about how gentle the vampire is and how soft his lips are. “I-I’m sorry, but may I ask about the touching? I don’t mind it, really, but I’m curious about the timing.”

“I wanted to help, try to, at the very least, and I just wanted to. I wanted to be close to you,” Taekwoon speaks without giving it much thought. It feels nice. 

“You know I’d never intentionally harm you, but doing such a thing is reckless. I could have hurt you.”

Without missing a beat, the angel replies, “I trust you.”

“You see me kneeling in a pool of human blood and you tell me you trust me?” Hakyeon asks in disbelief, voice suddenly weaker and eyes glossy again. Taekwoon nods. “Darling angel,” the vampire murmurs before lurching forward and wrapping his arms around Taekwoon, feathers brushing over the backs of Hakyeon’s hands. The angel breathes in sharp and copies the action. He splays his hands over Hakyeon’s back and holds him tight, hopes that that is how you’re supposed to do this, whatever it is. He ducks his head down and presses a smile into the juncture between Hakyeon’s neck and his shoulder, over long faded scars of a vampire bite. 

Hakyeon is warm like the promise of sunlight that lives in his eyes and so utterly gorgeous. The light of Heaven is pale and dim compared to that of this vampire. 

 

\--------

 

Wonshik got a ride home from Jaehwan’s shop almost dangerously late into the night. Jaehwan smiled at him as he left, assured him that everything would be okay, and Wonshik could almost believe him. Almost. 

Hakyeon is still angry, no doubt, and most definitely won’t let him leave the house, let alone his room, anytime soon. At best, he is in for a lecture, maybe something a little more harsh. At worst, Hakyeon wouldn’t even look at him and would just quietly send him to his room. Hakyeon’s disappointment is worse than rage. And, now that he’s thinking about how that would go, he realizes how foolish he was to have not prepared some kind of speech already. Even if his maker needed to hear some of the things that were said, Wonshik could have done without the theatrics. He figures he got it from Hakyeon.

The silence of the house is foreboding, even though he is well aware it is spelled to be that way, and more intimidating than it has probably ever been. Then again, he and Hakyeon have never fought in such a way since they grew close. He stares at the door in front of him and breathes in deep, like it’s necessary and will do anything for his nerves. His sweater smells mostly like the incense from Jaehwan’s shop, but also like the witch himself. It’s comforting, warm, and gives him a sense of security. He’s surely wouldn’t say he’s confident, but he feels a bit more secure. 

After taking a few more moments to muster the courage, he pushes the door open. It’s quiet and smells strongly of bleach for reasons unknown, but more importantly he doesn’t see Hakyeon. He listens closely, waits for something beyond the usual sounds of their house and the quiet of it. There’s nothing, besides that of Leo’s heart beating, but that’s so ordinary that Wonshik wouldn’t even feel the need to mention it had someone asked.

He toes off his shoes and steps further into the house, running a hand along the back of the couch and jumping when he feels a hand there. “Shit,” he curses, leaning over the couch to find Hakyeon there. He’s sleeping, arms crossed over his chest and drool pooling at the corner of his mouth. Wonshik huffs out a laugh at the sight, instantly feeling like all of his worry was for nothing. 

He walks around to the front of the couch and looks down at the elder. He seems peaceful and Wonshik has half a mind to leave him here and head to his own bed, but he doubts he’d ever hear the end of it. Much like he did the other night, he scoops Hakyeon up in his arms and hoists him off the couch. 

He takes a few steps before the elder tenses in arms and blinks his eyes open. Hakyeon’s eyes are wide, worried, until he realizes who is carrying him and they soften. “I’ve never been so happy to see your stupid face,” Hakyeon smiles, patting Wonshik’s chest. 

“Hi,” the younger breathes out a laugh as he continues walking to Hakyeon’s room. He considers putting the elder down to walk on his own, but quickly decides against it when he realizes that just wouldn’t bode well for him. Hakyeon pats his chest affectionately and rests his head against it again. 

“You know,” his maker starts with that mothering tone of his as Wonshik steps through the threshold to his room. He holds back a sigh because, really, he’s in no place to sigh right this moment. “We are going to have to talk about everything tomorrow,” he continues as he’s lied on the bed, “For tonight, we should both rest, but tomorrow, seriously, we need to actually talk instead of argue. 

“I know,” Wonshik nods with a poorly hidden frown. 

“Good,” Hakyeon grins, soft and sleepy. It’s comforting. “Come forth, young one, and bring me thy forehead,” the elder orders, making grabby hands at him in a way that reminds him more of Jaehwan than Hakyeon. Wonshik grimaces on behalf of the vampire anyway. “What? I thought you liked my ‘old speak’.”

“Hakyeon-”

“I know, just come here and let me kiss you then you can continue being angry with me.”

Wonshik obliges, but only to please Hakyeon. It wasn’t for his own comfort, definitely not.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry ?? but also if you wanna talk about this chapter or just this fic im @hunscafe on twitter


	12. Night 11- What is Love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls forgive any typos,, i've been trying to edit this throughout a v busy day so i don't think i did the best job

Taekwoon is honestly relieved when Hakyeon knocks on his door early into the night. The night prior and just moments after he woke up he felt something he hasn’t for countless years, longing. The last person he missed wasn’t a person at all, an angel named Hyunsik, but it has been over 200 years since Taekwoon has seen him. He was damned for something unknown. The angel dares wonder if there was a real reason at all and, if there was, if it was because Hyunsik resembled Hakyeon in some ways. He didn’t drink blood, that’s for sure, but he was gentle, kind, perhaps even empathetic. Though, that’s in the past and dwelling on it won’t change the outcome.

Hakyeon walks in of his own accord before the angel has any real chance to beckon him in, but he doesn’t much mind it. Taekwoon hasn’t gotten up yet, still curled up on his side with blankets tangled around him in a way that it would probably make it difficult to get out of bed at this point, but he is too cozy to move. On the contrary, the vampire is already dressed in his night clothes and it makes the angel feel a little embarrassment, but if Hakyeon is bothered at all by the fact that Taekwoon is still in bed he doesn’t comment on it. The black haired male only smiles at him and opens his mouth to speak words the angel already expects, “Good evening, Angel.”

“Hi,” Taekwoon replies shortly, still not bothering to move. Hakyeon moves forward to sit at the edge of Taekwoon’s bed, but makes sure to leave space between them. Even if the angel would rather be close to him, he appreciates the gesture.

“I just wanted to check on you before I go talk to Wonshik. How are you feeling? I know last night was _a lot_ ,” Hakyeon says, voice soft despite the anxiety obvious in his stilted movements and the line of his brows.

“I’m okay,” Taekwoon assures, not sure how true that statement is.

He has come to terms with the fact that he touched the vampire and he can’t take that back, knows he could be damned for things he’s already done, and has decided not to hold things back anymore. He’s also realized there’s no need to worry about where the blood came from when he trusts Hakyeon so much. On the surface, things couldn’t be better, but there are things the vampire hasn’t yet told him and Taekwoon isn’t sure what to make of that. He knows Hakyeon is trying to help by bearing the burden on his own shoulders, or he thinks that’s why anyway, but he’d rather just know. Especially after last night.

“That’s good,” Hakyeon hums.

“And you?” Taekwoon prompts as he props his chin up in the palm of his hand. His hair falls into his eyes as he does, earning him a fond chuckle from the vampire.

Hakyeon leans forward, raising a hand mindlessly before his eyes widen and he freezes. “May I?” he asks, a crooked smile pulling at his lips. Taekwoon’s heart starts beating a little faster, but he gives a small nod regardless and lets his eyes flutter shut when the vampire’s hand nears his face.

His hair is swept out of his face ever so carefully before being tucked behind his ear. It makes his heart beat even quicker. It’s a strange feeling, not fear, not really anxiety, but rather something new. It’s something that only seems to manifest around Hakyeon.

“I’m okay, thanks to you, Angel.”

Taekwoon blinks his eyes open again, once Hakyeon’s hand has halted on his cheek and the pad of his thumb has begun to rub gently against Taekwoon’s cheekbone. The vampire’s hand is impossibly warm on his face, or maybe that’s just him, he’s not sure. He wants to look away from Hakyeon’s gaze, feeling strangely overwhelmed, but he can’t find it in himself to do so. The vampire’s eyes are earnest and golden, enchanting.

A loud knock at the door interrupts the sweet moment, causing both of them to jump. Hakyeon breathes out a laugh as he pulls his hand away, looking to the door. “It’s Wonshik,” the vampire states, “I’ll get it.”

Taekwoon merely offers another nod, willing his heart to calm down, and watches as Hakyeon stands to walk to the door. He opens it to a shirtless Wonshik, inky black marks littering his skin. There are words on his chest and the image of an angel on his side, plus a few other things on his arm. They’re tattoos, as far as Taekwoon knows anyway. He has heard about them very few times, and only knows that they’re somehow sinful. If he’s being honest, on Wonshik, they look like they could be.

“Can you come out and talk?” Wonshik asks, glancing to Taekwoon with a small, closed mouth smile before looking back to Hakyeon with urgency in his eyes. “It’s kind of important.”

“Maybe,” Hakyeon says, voice small as he looks between the angel and his child, before clearing his throat, “Maybe we should all sit down and talk about things. I mean, if that’s okay with you two.”

“Fine, fine, that’s fine, but can we like hurry up?” Wonshik requests, bouncing in place.

“Yeah, go put on a shirt on and wait in the living room,” the elder vampire instructs. Wonshik has set off before Hakyeon even finishes speaking, prompting Hakyeon to sigh and turn around to face the angel again. “Sorry, is that okay with you, Angel? If not I can just go out and talk to Wonshik,” he says with a crooked frown.

Taekwoon shakes his head, then nods, seemingly confusing to Hakyeon if the furrow in his brows is anything to go by. So, he lets out a small sigh before saying, “That’s fine.”

In the angel’s defense, it’s hard to think around Hakyeon sometimes, this effect maximized by the prospect of whatever discussion is to be had between the three of them.

“Thanks, Taekwoon. There is quite a bit to talk about, so please do bear with me, with us. Wonshik can be quite a handful, you know,” Hakyeon tells him with a nervous chuckle. Taekwoon nods, again, and feels the corners of his own lips begin to tug up. “I guess just come out when you’re ready-”

“Hakyeon, come on,” comes Wonshik’s voice from the living room. Hakyeon closes his eyes for a few seconds, letting out a heavy breath of annoyance or self pity, Taewoon isn’t sure.

“Perhaps, hurry, Darling,” the vampire suggests, tone careful yet tired at the same time.

“Okay,” Taekwoon complies as he watches Hakyeon leave the room.

Once the door closes behind the vampire, he raises his hands to his cheeks, cupping them much like Hakyeon had. They are much too hot, mostly due to the nickname of ‘Darling’. Hakyeon has given him a nickname before, that nickname being ‘Angel’, but Taekwoon never felt too good about that one. At first, it felt like a poor attempt at an insult coming from a vampire, then, as he got to know said vampire and simultaneously got to know himself, he found that ‘Angel’ wasn’t a title to be proud of. ‘Darling’ feels affectionate, intimate, compared to the dreary nickname he previously adorned.

This is, perhaps, the last thing he should be concerned with at the moment, but it lingers in his mind anyway.

 

\-------

 

It’s only a few minutes later when Taekwoon leaves his room, but it felt like an hour. Wonshik is worried about something, that much is obvious, but if it was critically urgent he would have blurted it out already. That is currently the only thing Hakyeon has hope for right now. Despite it being his idea, he is dreading this conversation.

It’s time to tell Taekwoon everything, Hakyeon has decided. There was no real ‘aha’ moment or single event that prompted it, but the more he thinks about it the more he feels compelled to tell the other everything. Taekwoon trusts him now, or so he says, and he doesn’t want to ruin that by continuously keeping things from him. Telling the angel seems like a better idea than his original plan, which was to hide everything and hope for the best. Quite foolish, quite cowardice, Hakyeon concludes now that he has taken more time to think about it. Besides, he will only feel guilty if he allows the angel to continue as he is, growing closer to Hakyeon both figuratively and literally, without knowing everything.

“Come, sit,” he instructs when the angel lingers awkwardly to the side, wearing a pair of Wonshik’s sweatpants and Hakyeon’s once-white t-shirt that was dyed pink in the wash. Taekwoon raises his eyebrows at the vampire before looking away and scanning the room. His eyes set on the space next to Hakyeon and the black haired male fights the urge to smile as the angel makes his way across the room. He leaves space between them, a whole cushion of it, but Hakyeon is the least bit giddy at the close proximity, this time initiated by Taekwoon instead of himself. “Okay,” he starts once Taekwoon is settled, wings compact as they can be behind him and legs tucked under himself. “Go ahead, Wonshik.”

“Ilhoon went to Jaehwan’s shop and now Jaehwan is asking about him,” Wonshik blurts out, catching the elder off guard. Well, that’s one thing he hadn’t been expecting. It certainly doesn’t mean anything good, but he doesn’t need Wonshik to know that. The younger will only panic and maybe run out again when, frankly, that’s the last thing Hakyeon needs right now.

He opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by the angel asking, “What does that mean? Who are they?”

“Wait, haven’t you told him anything?” Wonshik asks, again before Hakyeon can speak.

“I was getting around to it,” Hakyeon responds, coming off more defensive than he’d like. He gets an eye roll from the younger vampire in response. An apology is due, he knows this, but he’s quickly learning that trying to get a word in is more difficult with two curious creatures in the room.

“So, Leo, Council is basically a government for vampires. I mean, they don’t do much besides get in everyone’s business and punish people who don’t abide by the laws. Claims, killings, and other things are supposed to be reported to them, but almost never are so that’s probably why they’re in everyone’s business,” Wonshik pauses to huff out a bitter laugh, so Hakyeon takes this as an opportunity to speak, comfort Taekwoon, but is, again, cut off. “Anyway,” Wonshik starts again. Hakyeon presses his lips into a tight line as he eyes the angel, who is looking perplexed, if not a bit intimidated, and hopes that Wonshik’s rambling will stop before it gets too vulgar. “It’s all complicated and I don’t even completely get it, but that’s probably because it doesn’t make any sense. A councilman visited us the other night and told us that two vampires were killed in our city, which wouldn’t be the craziest thing I guess, but since Council brought it up it is kind of suspicious, you know? A warning from Council isn’t exactly a good thing,” the younger vampire finally finishes, finally. He looks to Hakyeon, worry coating his face like a mask. Hakyeon gives him a small smile, hopefully encouraging, before looking back to the angel.

“Ah,” is all Taekwoon has to offer in response as he plucks at a stray thread in his pants

“I know it’s a lot, Angel, but it’s not as scary as it probably sounds,” Hakyeon tells him, holding back the urge to say ‘as long as you don’t do what we are doing’. Taekwoon nods as his eyes fall to the floor, but he doesn’t seem upset, per se. He just seems blank, like he’s processing everything and not sure how to feel about it. Hakyeon can relate.  

“Is Jaehwan the councilman then?” Taekwoon asks, looking between the two vampires.

“No,” Wonshik snaps with a scoff. Both his eyes and his words soften, though, after a harsh look from his maker. “Jae is human, a witch, but human. He runs a shop that serves other supernaturals, pretty much every non-human in the city. Ilhoon is the member of Council. He’s not a bad guy. He’s just, Council, I guess,” Wonshik ends with a shrug. He turns to Hakyeon then and leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees with another huff. “He said he went there for personal reasons, but who knows what the fuck-”

“Language,” Hakyeon cuts in.

“Sorry,” the younger vampire apologizes, glancing to the angel. Taekwoon shrugs. “Who knows what that means? I mean, everyone knows that Jaehwan is powerful and it’s not like killing vampires is easy. What if they think he did it, but don’t want to say anything and ruin whatever plan they have?” Wonshik questions, worrying himself more with each word. Hakyeon shakes his head and half wishes Wonshik sat himself closer so he could comfort him with a hand in his hair. As much as the younger male plays at hating affection from his maker, Hakyeon knows he values it when he needs some reassurance.

“If they know how powerful Jaehwan is then they have to know he’s not stupid enough to go against vampires. Maybe Ilhoon just went to check things out, maybe see if he could get a feel for what sort of magic is in the city, I don’t know.”

“Yeah, because Council is so subtle and unassuming in their practices. Okay, Hakyeon,” his child rolls his eyes and sits back in his chair again, arms crossing over his chest.

“Wonshik-”

“Council is using him,” Taekwoon blurts out, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. The vampires share a look, then look to him, but the angel doesn’t falter. “If he serves all the, the-”

“Supernaturals,” Hakyeon fills in helpfully.

“Yeah, if he serves all of them, wouldn’t he have information on them? He has information on those things and, since he’s human he can go out during the day, right?” the angel asks. Hakyeon was expecting that to be a rhetorical question so he just stares, waiting for him to continue, but then the angel pauses and looks to Hakyeon with curious eyes. He can’t help but wonder what bits and pieces he was taught about the human realm and who taught those bits and pieces to him. Someday soon he’d like to pick the angel’s brain about it, but he doesn’t think they’re at that point quite yet.

“Mhm,” Wonshik hums.

“Then he has information on humans around here as well. Wonshik said they wouldn’t want anyone to know about their plans. So, maybe, Ilhoon went for information, but left when he saw Shik was there,” Taekwoon concludes. It makes sense, Hakyeon thinks, but he’s not sure how to feel about the fact that an angel was the one to figure it out. Council is council and Taekwoon is Taekwoon. They shouldn’t converge, especially in their ways of thinking. Maybe Hakyeon is reading too much into it, but he doesn’t like it either way. “Am I wrong?” Taekwoon speaks up when his theory is met with silence.

“No, no, that sounds right. Sorry, I was just thinking,” Hakyeon reassures.

“Yeah, but how did an angel figure it out before actual vampires?” Wonshik asks with a bitter laugh. Taekwoon looks down at this, obviously not too pleased with the younger vampire’s question. Hakyeon supposes that if he were an angel he wouldn’t be too happy with it either. Vampires, in an angel’s eyes, probably aren’t a fun thing to be compared to, especially when it’s implied that the angel has a more mischievous way of thinking. He debates apologizing on his child’s behalf, but decides that’d just be foolish, if not offensive to Wonshik.

“Angels are a lot like Council, I guess,” Taekwoon speaks up, surprising Hakyeon with his statement. “If I forget what I learned here I can understand them a bit.”

It’s a sad sentiment, but it has Hakyeon smiling anyway. He is proud of the progress Taekwoon has made. Even if there are a lot of things the angel doesn’t know, he’s grown a lot, has changed a lot. Again, Hakyeon finds himself fighting the urge to jump into the lap of the white-haired male to convey just how proud he is in every way imaginable.

“We should tell Minhyuk,” Wonshik says, forcibly cutting off Hakyeon’s train of thought.

“As much as I agree, you know no one can interfere with Council. I can tell our employees to keep a stricter watch on Jaehwan, but even if Ilhoon visits the shop again we can’t do anything about it,” he explains.

“I can say I claimed Jae.”

“Shik, you can’t just throw these things around and you know it.”

“It beats doing nothing.”

“We’re not doing this again, Wonshik,” Hakyeon retorts. Wonshik gives him a look that reads as a scornful child, but it’s much less humorous in this situation than it is when Hakyeon doesn’t let him run off to do something reckless or, well, childish. “I’m sorry to both of you for last night, but you know we can’t be reckless right now. Jaehwan is safe and I’m doing everything in my power to make sure it stays that way. If it comes down to it and the two of you make that decision after talking it out completely and discussing every aspect of it, then you come to me and we will do things the right way.”

“Thanks, Hakyeon,” Wonshik mumbles.

His phone rings then, before anything else can be said and Hakyeon is strangely grateful for the interruption. He pulls out his phone and finds that it’s never any less surprising to see Hongbin’s name on his screen when it comes to the demon calling him first.

“Excuse me, please, I have to take this call,” he says as he stands up off the couch. He feels a bit bad leaving the angel to fend for himself with the younger vampire, and he’s sure that if he even snuck a glance at Taekwoon he’d waver, but he leaves the room anyway. If he’s being honest, the tension was killing him. It’s hard to act like he has all the answers, has everything figured out, when, really, he’s barely a step above of either of them. He supposes he’s a better actor, though, and that is just enough to keep him afloat.

 

\--------

 

“Can I ask you something?” Leo speaks up once Hakyeon has shut himself behind his bedroom door. Wonshik’s eyes snap to him, surprised to hear him speak to him directly. It’s not like they haven’t spoken in private before, but never has it been the angel that started anything. He wonders what has changed.

“You just did,” Wonshik responds, shit-eating grin proudly plastered on his face. The angel opens his mouth, then closes it again, seeming put out at the unexpected answer. Wonshik laughs and nods, “Go ahead, ask away.”

“What does it mean to claim someone?” is what the angel strikes him with and, for sure, wasn’t anything that the vampire was expecting.

He knows Hakyeon will be angry with him if he is too gruesome with the explanation, but, to an extent, it is gruesome. It’s not as simple exchanging blood or carefully extracting it to drink, a bite must be made. Wonshik doesn’t know why it’s like that, he just knows it is. Neither the lessons from Hakyeon or the old texts ever state _why_ , just that things are the way they are. Council just made it up, probably.

Leo should know before he and Hakyeon fall into anything. Love, for one. Wonshik wouldn’t say it’s sabotage, just a reality check.

“I mean, it's more of a legal thing. You need to have evidence of a claim before a vampire turns them. Claiming is like, you know,” he informs, stopping to bare his fangs. The angel’s eyes widen at that, probably having never seen a vampire’s fangs so unashamedly on display before, but he doesn’t really seem perturbed by it. His heart is just a few beats too quick, but considering how jumpy the angel was the first night he doubts that matters at all.

“Oh,” the angel breathes out.

“Yeah,” Wonshik responds simply.

A sudden awkwardness creeps in then, even a few seconds of silence feeling like too much in this situation.

“Does Jaehwan want to be a vampire?” is the second thing the angel decides to strike him with. Wonshik wasn’t expecting this any more than he was expecting the last question, if anything he expected it less.

It’s not a conversation he and Jaehwan have had, honestly. They’ve talked for hours about life and death, vampirism, all of it, but not _that._ Wonshik thinks it’s because that conversation holds some _weight,_ more so than just a frivolous conversation about theories and the contents of old books. They both know it and they both avoid it. He thinks that’s answer enough.

“I don’t want him to be,” he says honestly, but not really answering the question, “I want him to live.”

“Would you turn him though? If it was that or death,” Leo asks, a little too quickly if you ask the vampire. For not the first time, Wonshik wonders what the hell is going on inside the other’s head. The angel asks a lot of cryptic questions, but never provides an explanation. It makes the vampire wish he had Jaehwan’s ability to read minds, or even Hakyeon’s ability to just fucking _read the room._

“I don’t know. What would you choose, angel boy? Vampirism or true death?” Wonshik questions, coming off all too defensive and not caring. He knows Hakyeon would tell him he’s deflecting, but he is genuinely curious and the angel has already asked him so many questions.

“I don’t know,” the angel responds, then pauses to flick his hair out of his eyes before asking, “Can I ask you one more thing?”

“Sure,” Wonshik breathes out, despite the fact that he just decided that he was tired of Leo’s questioning. He’s just bored.

“Why is your hair purple?”

“Anyways, day workers are going to come while we sleep and just leave Ta-Leo’s clothes in a package on the porch. Since they’re not from the feeder house there shouldn’t be anything to worry about and- Did I miss something?” Hakyeon chatters until he realizes that something is off.

The angel, who could probably be referred to as Hakyeon’s angel by now, is looking to the elder with stars in his eyes that are admittedly pretty, but no match for Jaehwan. Wonshik is still staring at the angel though, brows furrowed and trying to figure out whether what Leo just said was a veiled insult or a genuine question. He’s never been too good at reading people, especially those he doesn’t know well, so even though he thinks it was just a question from a clueless creature, he can’t be sure.

“Leo asked why my hair is purple,” Wonshik asks, prompting Hakyeon to burst into laughter.

“It’s not funny!” Wonshik insists, which apparently makes it all the more humorous to Hakyeon. The elder has to lay a hand on the edge of the couch to keep himself upright, standing just behind where Leo is sitting as he laughs at his child’s pain. Wonshik is decidedly offended. “God, I need to dye my hair,” he mutters to himself, but, of course, Hakyeon hears it anyway.

“It’s in the cupboard in the upstairs bathroom. I’d do it for you, but I have to call Minhyuk. I’m going to tell him what Leo said. Even if nothing can be done I’d like to get his thoughts on it and let him know,” Hakyeon explains, poorly hiding a smirk.

“I want to thank you, but first I have to know why you have dye hidden away for me,” Wonshik says, clearly bitter.

“Oh, please, I bought it the second you came home with purple hair,” Hakyeon laughs, only adding insult to injury.

“I hate this fucking family.”

“Language, Wonshik,” the elder chastises as he does his best to suffocate his giggles. “Anyway,” Hakyeon starts, bringing a fist to his mouth as he clears his throat, “I know it’s early, but maybe we should end this here for tonight. I know there are still things to talk about, still questions, but my dear child has become sulky and I’m sure you need time to process everything.” Hakyeon smiles at the angel, whether he knows it or not, Wonshik isn’t sure. He has that dopey smile on his face that Jaehwan gets when he’s talking about something he’s excited about or when he successfully completes a difficult spell or (and maybe this is just the younger vampire’s hyperactive imagination) when he looks at Wonshik. It’s much less charming on his maker, but the effect is still the same, even to Wonshik.

“Great,” Wonshik spits out, standing up abruptly so he doesn’t have to be caught in this weird tension. He feels like he physically walked into a scene from one of Hakyeon’s dramas that he definitely did not sign up for. He is being a responsible adult and removing himself from the situation to go worry about Jaehwan in a different room. Hakyeon should be proud, but instead, his focus is wholly on the angel. “I’m going to get the hair dye. Thanks, Hakyeon,” he says and means it, but it comes out a bit more aggressive than he’d intended. Perhaps he’s bitter.

To Wonshik’s surprise, he’s attacked by Hakyeon the second he turns his back to the elder. Hakyeon latches his arms around Wonshik’s middle and nuzzles his face right into the younger vampire’s neck. A kiss lands on the nape of his neck and he shivers, but he doesn’t fight the elder. He tells himself it’s because he knows that attempting to resist Hakyeon will get him nowhere, but a little voice in the back of his mind is yelling at him to quit being such a pussy and acknowledge his own feelings.

“I didn’t even do anything,” Wonshik scoffs, “Why do you have to hug me?”

“Because I love you, idiot,” Hakyeon pauses to kiss him again, “Plus, I’m proud of you for doing well with this conversation tonight. Look at you, not even pitching a fit.”

Wonshik makes a gagging noise, which seems to work well enough because his maker releases him from his grasp with a chuckle. He doesn’t spare Hakyeon a glance as he continues walking away, mostly because he has a stupid smile on his face and the other vampire doesn’t need to know that, but also because- No, that’s it.

 

\--------

 

After sending Taekwoon up to play piano and quickly checking on Wonshik, who already had half of his head covered in brown dye, he finally retires to his own room. He doesn’t even let himself sit down before he calls Minhyuk because, knowing himself, he’d throw himself back on the bed and lie there until the Call of the Sun dragged him into sleep. It’s barely 1 and he’s already unbelievably tired.

 

His call with Minhyuk is relatively short-lived and nothing much comes out of it. Minhyuk tells him that they’ll be more careful, which is expected, and that things are a bit chaotic at the feeder house, also relatively expected. The younger ones are still scared, that hasn’t changed., but apparently several of their clients canceled their appointments for tonight, some even calling and canceling future appointments just to be safe.

Hakyeon assumes that Council must have paid a visit to a vampire who hasn’t yet heard about the consequences that come with spreading what valuable information they give you. Telling those in your household is a given because, well, vampires are vampires and being invited into someone’s home means something. Hence the feeder house panic. Though, telling those who you weren’t given permission to tell and those not in your household is guaranteed to come with consequences. Hakyeon pities the fool that ends up on the blacklist.

Anyway, Hakyeon agrees to visit soon, though he has no idea when _soon_ is, in reality. To Minhyuk, and Hakyeon before Taekwoon’s arrival, that’d mean the next night or so, but to Hakyeon now, it may mean anywhere from a few nights to a few weeks. He feels bad, but leaving the angel now is no longer something he’s at all comfortable with and taking him to the feeder house isn’t even close to being an option. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do, but he knows he will have to figure it out soon, whatever that means.

 

Even after he allows himself to lie down he doesn’t find much comfort. The whole situation is still bouncing around in his mind and he just wants to call Jaehwan and ask everything that was said, everything that he picked up on that Wonshik didn’t. Hakyeon is sure the younger only had his eyes on Jaehwan and, even if he didn’t, he was probably too on guard and out of his element to notice much. His child would be upset if Hakyeon were to go behind his back like that, though, and Hakyeon’s not interested in making Jaehwan lie for him.

He rolls over and looks at the digital clock on his nightstand. “Why is the night so long?” he asks aloud, to no one in particular. Maybe there’s time for a call in his stuffed yet simultaneously empty schedule. He must teach Taekwoon everything, get him back to Heaven, find out who is killing vampires, etc., but he doesn’t know how to do any of those things.

So, instead, he’s going to call Jaehwan and simply ask him what he wanted to know about Ilhoon. There’s no hurt in answering a few questions.

 

“Uh oh,” Jaehwan greets oh-so-kindly once he answers the phone, “A call from you is never good. What’s up?”

“And to think I called to give you information my dumb son can’t provide,” Hakyeon tsks despite the smile on his face. He hasn’t spoken to Jaehwan in a long while, too long if you ask him, and it feels good to hear a familiar voice without worrying about slipping up, accidentally divulging too much information or saying the wrong thing and having someone combust in his grasp.

“You know what, I’m gonna tell him you said that,” Jaehwan laughs. “Unless,” he adds then pauses, assumedly for emphasis if he knows Jaehwan at all, “You tell me who the hell Ilhoon is. Wonshik let me read his palm, but-”

“God, Jaehwan, didn’t I tell you to stop doing that?” Hakyeon sighs, pitying his fool of a child. He’s sure that if Wonshik weren’t so blindly in love with Jaehwan he’d have a little more sense and keep his hands to himself, but for that, Hakyeon can only hope.

“First of all, you asked me to stop and I said no, it’s too much fun. Also, I didn’t even ask for it the other night. I extended my hand out of kindness, just to help him down off the counter, and so what if he accidentally told me he thinks I’m pretty? Second of all, the situation last night was wildly different. Ilhoon was there and I had no idea who he was and I needed _something_ ,” Jaehwan tells him. Hakyeon figures that, if he wanted to, he could be angry about the first part because Jaehwan knew what he was doing, but he is too tired to be upset about anything else right now. Plus, he feels a bit bad about the second part.

They’ve known Jaehwan for a while, Hakyeon isn’t sure how long, as time seems to just blend together after 273 years, but long enough that there was definitely ample time to tell him about Council. It’s not that they lied to him about it. They told him about it in short, but never gave details, never named names. Council is ugly and in the present, it’s not something in one of the witch’s books, and Hakyeon thought it would better for him to live in blissful ignorance. In the end, it backfired though, which is another reason why he thinks telling Taekwoon was a good thing.

“Ilhoon is a member of Council, but I’m sure you knew that already. He got drafted around 3 decades or so ago, though I’m not sure how. He was a bit of a mess back then, but then again, weren’t we all? It was the 80’s. Anywa-”

“I can’t say I relate, but please continue,” Jaehwan chuckles, cutting off Hakyeon just to subtly call him old. Little does he know, being old is actually a good thing when it comes to vampirism.

“I will if you’d let me speak,” Hakyeon retorts, only half-jokingly, “When he first joined he was just the errand boy, assisted in intimidation factors by way of numbers during hunts and other small, miscellaneous things. He gradually made his way up, from being a prop to being used to gather information. I guess Council saw the value in his coyness since he was never used for killing, never really got his hands dirty. He, on his own, is fine, but the information he carries is dangerous. It’s kind of impossible to know his intentions since they’re never his own, he’s just another limb of Council.”

“This is,” Jaehwan pauses, again for dramatic effect. Hakyeon can’t fault the man, he doesn’t find the humor in the pot calling the kettle black. “Probably the least helpful information you could have given me. Things would be much easier if you had just told me he wants to kill me, to be honest. I mean the man called me a wonder. What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“I wouldn’t take any compliments from Ilhoon,” Hakyeon says with a breathy laugh, nervous and weary. If Ilhoon had the audacity to refer to him as ‘a wonder’ in front of Wonshik who, even to a stranger, is quite obviously wrapped around Jaehwan’s finger, he must have meant it. If he was aiming to hurt, only complimenting Jaehwan to get a rise out of the younger vampire for his long-standing grudge, he would have been more eccentric about it. Hakyeon knows this, even if he and Ilhoon are no longer close. Still, though, aiming to hurt or not, compliments from the councilman aren’t a good thing, especially if Council is planning to use Jaehwan.

“Then give it to me straight, Hakyeon. Should I be scared of him or not?” Jaehwan asks and, _boy,_ isn’t that a hard question. Hakyeon doesn’t even know whether or not he should be outright scared of Ilhoon. He’d like to think the answer is no, but the fear he holds for Council is too great to be disregarded in favor of a familiar face. He wouldn’t be so foolish. “Or, at least, how should I handle him if he comes back? I can act cocky all day long, but I feel like that’s not the best plan of action with this guy,” Jaehwan redirects his questioning, thankfully enough for Hakyeon. This is a question he can answer and, though the answer might be crass, it’s better that Jaehwan hears it, if only for Hakyeon’s own peace of mind.

“You act like you wouldn’t even dare to hurt a fly, or better yet, like you don’t even have the power to hurt a fly. You make him believe that you’re harmless so that way- and, can I be quite frank with you?,” Hakyeon requests.

“Please,” the witch responds, an amused smile audible in his voice. Hakyeon rolls his eyes.

“You make him believe you’re harmless so that way they don't have an excuse to kill you,” he says, then pauses, but Jaehwan doesn’t seem to recoil nor does he say anything that would give away to him being uncomfortable with that statement. Lord knows he’d say something if he were uncomfortable with that statement. Rather, it seems as if he’s awaiting further instructions, so Hakyeon continues. “You don’t play dumb, because that’s worse than being a threat to them. You tell the truth, that you read old texts, but know nothing about Council. And for god’s sake _do not_ shake any hands. If by any chance, Ilhoon feels you in his head, you’ll get glamoured or worse. You’re valuable to them, make no mistake, but playing it careful is the best option.”

“Why do you sound like you’ve been plotting this for years?” the blonde man asks with a laugh. Even over the phone, Hakyeon can tell his laughter has lost some of its typical heartiness, that it’s not quite as full. It’s not a good sound.

“It’s only been a few hours, actually. I care about you, Jaehwan, as does Wonshik. Your safety is a priority, but, really, this is all worst case scenario stuff. So long as you keep being as smart as you are, you’ll do fine,” he reassures, wondering if he went too far for a human.

But, then Jaehwan laughs again, and it’s not as dull as the last time. “Why didn’t you start with that? I was almost scared, asshole.”

“Almost,” Hakyeon repeats with a chuckle and, just as he’s about to comment on how nice it is to hear the human laugh again, he hears Wonshik calling for him. “What’s the point of eternity if I never get a second to myself?” he asks aloud, but, again, to no one in particular.

“Why? What’s up?”

“Wonshik is calling for me, so I’ve got to go. If you need anything else just let me know, okay?” says Hakyeon. Jaehwan only hums in response, so Hakyeon merely sighs and ends the call. He thinks maybe he should be relieved that Jaehwan probably won’t come to him for help with so much else on his plate, but he can’t help but worry anyway. Surely, the witch would call if the situation really called for it, right? Or will he let his pride get in the way of things too? Hakyeon has known for a long time that the human is more prideful than he lets on, though he also knows that Jaehwan is smarter than he lets on as well. Maybe Hakyeon just needs to stop worrying so much.

“Hakyeon!” Wonshik calls again, earning a sigh from the elder. He pushes himself up off the bed and decides now is as good a time as ever to make his rounds. He wanted to check up on both Wonshik and Taekwoon before the night ended anyway. He wants to make sure Wonshik isn’t holding any grudges and that the angel is mentally alright. If even Hakyeon is tired, he can’t imagine how his loves are feeling.

 

“How bad is it?” Wonshik asks the second Hakyeon starts down the hall of the second floor. Hakyeon rolls his eyes and smiles, hurrying forward to get a hand in his child’s hair.

 

Not too long after, when Wonshik is satisfied with the amount of praise received about his new red-tinted brown hair, Hakyeon heads back downstairs. He listens in to the angel’s heartbeat as he approaches the door and pauses outside despite how bad he wants to see Taekwoon, just to listen.

The angel’s heartbeat is steady, peaceful, but not so much so that there’s any hint of him being asleep. It’s just another nice thing to listen to besides Jaehwan’s laugh.

After another few moments, he knocks, but doesn’t wait more than a few seconds before going inside. Taekwoon isn’t in bed, not that that’s where Hakyeon thinks he spends all of his time, but it’s the first place he looks anyway. Hakyeon panics, only for a moment, before looking to the window where he can hear Taekwoon’s heartbeat. The angel is kneeling there, on the floor beneath the windowsill, with his wings spread out behind him. Even through the miniscule slit in the curtains the moonlight is beaming through and making Taekwoon look even more angelic than normal, which is a goddamn feat if you ask Hakyeon.

The silver light is catching in his hair and on his eyelashes, reflecting off of his wings and seeming to make him glow. It looks a bit funny, him in his casual wear looking so ethereal. Hakyeon finds his cheeks growing sore before he even realizes he’s smiling, but he doesn’t mind it much.

“What are you doing, Angel?” he asks as he makes his way across the room, being ever so careful to avoid the angel’s wings, then kneels next to him. The floor is cold and hard against his knees that he suspects are going to be sore after this.

He really needs to feed.

Taekwoon looks at him then away again, blush evident even in the low light. “I preferred ‘Darling’ much more, Vampire,” Taekwoon says, voice quiet and insecure.

“I see your point,” Hakyeon replies with a light breath of laughter, “How are you doing after all of that?”

“I’m okay,” the angel nods then finally looks to the vampire again. His eyes sparkle even more so than the stars and Hakyeon hears himself gasp. He covers it up by clearing his throat because, honestly, it’s more than a little embarrassing. He feels himself blush and is simultaneously glad for the fact that angels aren’t able to see in the dark, he thinks. He’s much too old for this childish love. “I think it’s interesting.”

“I guess you could see it that way,” the vampire responds with a hum, “I’m sure there are things you want to ask, so feel free. I’ll do my best to answer.”

“I don’t know a lot, yes?” Taekwoon prompts. Hakyeon hesitates, but nods, hoping the other male won’t take it as an insult. “I wonder why they didn’t tell me,” Taekwoon asks, looking back to the night sky. Hakyeon observes for a few moments before he, too, looks out and wonders if the angel sees anything different to what he sees. Perhaps he can see Heaven, if that’s even a thing you’re able to see or if it just something that _is._ He has heard of things like that, but it’s hard to fathom.

“What didn’t they tell you?”

“What is love?” the angel ponders. Hakyeon feels a part of himself break at that question. It could simply be his mind wandering, too little to do with so much time gives one a lot of time to think, but his tone suggested different. It is a genuine question that Hakyeon isn’t too sure how to answer.

“That isn’t something easily explained,” he admits, but that doesn’t seem to be a good enough answer for the angel. Taekwoon sets his eyes on the vampire and, if Hakyeon were a weaker vampire, the desperation in them would make him weep. Instead, he continues talking, to turn that desperation into something else, if not contentment then hope. “There are different types of love. There’s the type of love you hold for family, friends, or the romantic sort of love, then there’s being in love. For example, I love Wonshik like he’s my own son and Jaehwan like a friend. My associate, Minhyuk, he’s somewhere on the family and friend spectrum. I love a lot of people, Taekwoon.”

Taekwoon nods and hums, a high, sweet sound. “Is it not a weakness?” he asks, “They told me it’s a human weakness.”

Hakyeon tenses at the question. Of course, it’s a weakness, but the fact that that idea was drilled into Taekwoon so hard he became fearful of it is disgusting, heartbreaking. Love is something to be cherished and it is painful to think that Taekwoon has never experienced it. He hopes that the angel has and just didn’t realize it, but the look in his eyes is telling Hakyeon otherwise.

“It can be, but a life without love isn’t worth whatever power it may give you,” the vampire insists.

“Then, me?”

“Hm?”

“Do you love me?” Taekwoon asks, hand jittering until it finds a place on Hakyeon’s knee. He retracts it after a second, pulling it into his own lap and glancing down at it before looking back at the vampire. Hakyeon wishes he could just show the angel, find a way to do that somehow. How would he though? How do you show love to a creature that has never experienced it? When words aren’t enough and human affections are unfamiliar, meaningless, how do you show love?

When it comes to an angel and a vampire, are you allowed to show love?

“I do, Darling, so much.” Hakyeon settles with words. Because that’s all he can do. Because he’s not supposed to do more than that. Because he promised himself he wouldn’t.

“Okay,” Taekwoon mumbles simply and shortly, like he doesn’t have Hakyeon on the verge of tears.

“Okay,” Hakyeon repeats with a soulless laugh. “I think we should both get some rest now, Taekwoon. Your clothes are coming tomorrow night and you’ll have to try them on so we know if any adjustments have to be made,” he instructs. Taekwoon nods, so the vampire takes that as his cue to leave. He stands up off the ground and brushes off his pants before taking a step back. “Sleep soon, Darling.”

“I will,” the other answers, white hair glimmering in the moonlight as he looks back out to the sky. Hakyeon always thought that the night sky was beautiful, something to be admired, but the moon and the stars seem dull in comparison to Taekwoon. The angel was most definitely made for night.

He walks backwards out of the room, watching the angel all the while, and holds back a sigh when he makes it to the door. He doesn’t want to go, but he’s all too tired and he needs time to think. He doesn’t know what any of that meant, doesn’t know what to make of it. Though, one thing he knows is that he needs to find Taekwoon something more to do.

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon prompts, not bothering to glance back and ensure that the vampire is still there.

“Yes?”

“How do you know if you love someone?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure, Darling. I think it’s just one of those things you just _know,_ as silly as that sounds,” the vampire informs. Love is one of those things, he realizes. It’ something that _is_ or it _isn’t_ , and you never really know until you’re too far gone for it to matter.

Taekwoon doesn’t respond though, so Hakyeon doesn’t say anything either. He steps back out of the angel’s room and shuts the door, taking a deep breath and wondering if Taekwoon would be at all interested in dramas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if this chapter was a bit disappointing !! i had to force some conversations to boost the plot forward ,, hopefully the sweet moments and made up for it a bit


	13. Night 12- Black Silk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this update took so long,, but like,, life,, ya know,,  
> anyway i hope you like it

Hakyeon tenses the moment he wakes up, both hearing and sensing someone moving around in his room, someone who most definitely shouldn’t be there. He can feel Wonshik, but since he’s still groggy he can’t tell if his senses are accurate or if he’s just feeling his child through the wall. He bites the inside of his cheek, wondering if he should chance it and make a move or not. Then, though, he hears a quiet snort of laughter that he immediately identifies as Wonshik.

He lets out a sigh and rolls his eyes as he pushes himself to a sitting position. Wonshik is sitting on the floor at the end of his bed, holding up a silk black shirt with two thin slits in the back. There’s a tie around the midsection of it and ruffles on the collar, several other details here and there that Hakyeon can’t even imagine how the demons put together so quickly. He’s not one to question the work of demons though, especially when he the product of their dark magic is always perfection and he knows nothing of how it’s done.

“Why don’t you buy me nice things like this?” Wonshik asks without even sparing Hakyeon a glance. The elder vampire breathes out a laugh in disbelief and shakes his head as he rubs his tired eyes.

“I have, Wonshik. It’s not my fault you dress like a bisexual disaster,” Hakyeon retorts, earning a glare from his child. “Hongbin’s words, not mine,” he adds with a laugh as he raises his hands in surrender.

“I’m sure,” Wonshik says, sticking his tongue out at the elder. Hakyeon returns the favor as he crawls down the bed and grabs at the shirt that Wonshik is still holding. The younger vampire doesn’t even blink at the action, just reaches into the box of clothing and takes another shirt out.

Hakyeon holds the shirt up on his own and marvels at it. There’s a small lace panel that drags from the shoulder down to the chest. It’s not the most tasteful thing in the world, but it is pretty. It’s a dark black, which is a redundant statement, but it’s the only way Hakyeon can describe it. Although it’s silk, it doesn’t catch much in the light, sort of like the ocean on a moonless night.

What a strange thing it’ll be, Hakyeon thinks, to see an angel in vampire’s clothing.

Wonshik’s phone dings and he immediately drops the shirt he was just holding into his lap in favor of reaching for it. He smiles at it, eyes crinkling and shoulders rising as he breathes out a quiet laugh. Hakyeon wishes he could just sit here like this and pretend all is well, which is a thing he’s probably going to do until he must tend to the angel anyway, but he has to ensure his child’s peace of mind at the very least.

“Are you feeling better about things now, Shik?” Hakyeon asks as he lowers the angel’s shirt into his own lap. Wonshik just mindlessly nods as he types, probably texting Jaehwan, because what else would he be doing now besides that?

Once he has finished whatever he was doing on his phone he rests it on the floor beside him and looks up to Hakyeon. “Yeah, Jaehwan called me at dusk and we talked for a bit, just until the employees from the feeder house got there. Plus, he sent me a picture of the spell he used to reinforce the wards around the shop. I’m not that good at spells, especially the ones with equations and latin, but it looked good. For now, he's, uh, he’s safe,” the younger vampire informs, nodding to himself as he talks. There’s a subtle smile tugging at the corners of his lips and Hakyeon is happy for him. Well, he’s happy for a few seconds because then Wonshik is adding, “I’d still rather be with him, though.”

“I know, Dear, I know,” Hakyeon sighs, “I’m sorry that you can’t be, but-”

“I know, okay? I know this is the best we can do right now. It’s just annoying and it’s not like there’s a ton to do here, so all I get to do is sit around and think. Hakyeon, you know how much I hate _thinking_ ,” Wonshik whines. Hakyeon nearly laughs at that, but holds it back for the sake of his child.

“Indeed, I do, Shik. If you want you can help me go through these clothes to make sure there’s nothing too indecent before I give them to Leo,” he offers, fully expecting the now brown haired vampire to reject him. Instead, Wonshik tilts his head to the side, making a sort of hissing sound as he weighs his options.

“Fine, but I’m not desperate enough to clean the house or anything.”

“Noted.”

Time seems to pass quickly between miscellaneous conversations and organizing the angel’s clothes. Mainly, Hakyeon just gives Wonshik the opportunity to rant and ramble about anything that comes to mind, aiding him by asking a few questions here and there. There’s a common theme in his rants, namely Lee Jaehwan, but that’s hardly surprising. He talks about spells and magic, not that Hakyeon understands any of it. For how old Hakyeon is, his knowledge of magic is admittedly lacking. Wonshik also told Hakyeon a few tales of Jaehwan’s past, like that time he snuck a potion into class and accidentally got all the other kids sick with a sort of magic poisoning. Human kids, the ones who aren’t descendants of true witches, are not supposed to be around magic apparently. Hakyeon found it amusing, a very _Jaehwan_ sort of story. All this, among comments about the angel’s clothes.

“Hakyeon,” is whispered, just a light breath that flows through the wall, and both vampires perk up. Hakyeon’s eyes snap to the door while Wonshik’s eyes snap to the elder, curious.

“Do you mind if I go see what he wants?” Hakyeon asks, though he’s already standing. Wonshik shrugs and shakes his head as he drops a navy blue shirt into the box. “Are you going to be okay?”

As expected, Wonshik nods despite the fact that he’s obviously uneasy.

“If you get bored and need a distraction you can come to me, but for now I have to go to Leo, okay?”

“It’s fine,” Wonshik insists, waving a dismissive hand, “I’m expecting a call from Jae soon anyway. He’s supposed to be taking a break from the counter to make more potions and stuff so we are gonna facetime.”

Still, Hakyeon wants to stay with him, wants to pry a bit, but Taekwoon has called dibs on him for the time being and it’s not like Wonshik is going to spill all of his worries anytime soon. So, Hakyeon only offers him a small smile and a pat on the head before picking up the boxes and leaving through his bedroom door. In his long life, he has learned that small gestures can go quite far.

 

After a very short conversation between a seemingly excited angel and an equally excited vampire, the two head out to the living room. There is better lighting and more space for the angel to extend his wings out there, but Hakyeon has to run into his room to grab his full-length mirror. He can tell the angel how pretty he is all night, but, if Taekwoon doesn’t like the clothes or feel comfortable in them, that’s that. He should probably make a pit stop at the thermostat and crank up the heat as well, since the angel is going to be undressing and all.

“I was thinking France,” he hears Wonshik say as he re-enters his room.

“What about France?” Hakyeon asks, causing Wonshik to jump in surprise. The younger vampire glares at him, but it’s not very convincing considering the subtle blush on his cheeks. It’s quite cute, cuter than Wonshik would ever try to be on purpose.

“Wonshik is going there,” comes Jaehwan’s voice from the brunette’s phone.

“Oh, and who is funding that?” Hakyeon asks and raises an eyebrow just to tease his child, embarrass him in front of his crush. Wonshik only responds with an open-mouthed smile, awkward and forced. “I suppose it’s me then,” he adds as he turns away to pick up his mirror.

“Must be nice to be a vampire,” Jaehwan comments, just a lighthearted joke, but the vampires look to each other with matching expressions of unease. Hakyeon makes an urgent gesture for Wonshik to say something, but the younger only manages to cough out a laugh.

“The privilege of having a child is not one without burden,” Hakyeon sighs as he lifts the heavy, gold-rimmed mirror with one hand. He places the side of the mirror he’s not holding in his hand up against his hip to rest there as he turns back towards the door.

“You sound like you’re like 50 years old when you say stuff like that,” the witch chimes in again.

“Try 273,” Hakyeon retorts, leaning into the camera to stick his tongue out at the human much like Wonshik had done to him earlier. Jaehwan, unsurprisingly, returns the gesture, and Wonshik rolls his eyes. “Anyways, I’ll be in the living room if you want to come out once you’re done on facetime,” he offers, pecking at Wonshik’s temple once he’s finished speaking. The combined effect of Jaehwan sputtering out a laugh and Wonshik looking like he’s having trouble deciding whether or not he wants to stake himself or Hakyeon, has the elder feeling a bit bad. So, to balance things out, he leaves a kiss on the front camera of Wonshik’s phone for Jaehwan.

He hears Jaehwan shriek as he turns to leave and the two lovebirds burst into giggles. A proud smile plants itself on Hakyeon’s face as he leaves the room. He thinks that, no matter how annoying the combination of Jaehwan and Wonshik can get, whether it be their subtle teasing or their frustrating and apparently invisible feelings for each other, the sounds of their laughs will always be worth it.

“Hey, Darling, you ready?” he asks once he sets the mirror down in front Taekwoon, who is still standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room. Taekwoon only nods in response and turns away from the mirror. “Here,” he prompts, extending the shirt he just pulled out of the box to the angel, “You can change out here or in your room if you don’t feel comfortable.”

“It’s fine,” Taekwoon responds and clumsily pulls his shirt off. They trade shirts, Taekwoon handing Hakyeon his as he takes his new shirt from the vampire. It’s black with a baby blue silk inner lining and has a belt in the middle to bring it in around his waist. It’s much different to everything the angel has worn, or has seen the vampires wear, but Taekwoon doesn’t seem adverse to it. It suits the night, suits Taekwoon.

“I don’t think I’ll fit through this,” the angel tells him once he turns the shirt around to look at the back. There are two slits there, something Hakyeon had seen and gotten worried about as well, but after a few quick texts to Hongbin, everything was sorted out.

“I ended up telling Hongbin the clothes were gifts for a demon with wings so they may look a bit small, but Hongbin is a sneaky little brat that spells his clothing so they’ll fit anyway. He said to shift away your wings then put it on and shift them back,” the vampire informs. He says it with confidence, though he’s not positive that’s actually what Hongbin said. That was the gist of it at least.

“Ah,” Taekwoon responds, just a breath as he slips his arm into one of the sleeves. The angel closes his eyes, rolls his shoulders, and a second later his wings are gone. The familiar scent of vanilla smoke is there then as Taekwoon open his eyes again, irises suddenly grey rather than the usual dark tone they adorn. It’s strange and, despite the lack of wings, he seems more inhuman now.

Taekwoon slips his other arm in, nonchalant like he hadn’t just shapeshifted. He then moves to work on the buttons with slightly shaky hands. “Are you okay?” Hakyeon asks immediately, because Taekwoon’s hands aren’t usually like that nor are the corners of his lips usually downturned.

“Yeah, my body just needs time to adjust to the shift,” the angel assures. He takes a moment to stretch his fingers out before scrunching them into fists again and attempting to button his shirt again. It’s a bit hard to watch Taekwoon’s hands fumble so much with a single button, so Hakyeon steps forward to do it himself. “Thanks,” Taekwoon says before the vampire even has the chance to ask permission, let alone get a hand on the angel’s shirt.

“You’re welcome,” Hakyeon replies as he tugs Taekwoon’s shirt closed and buttons it up from the base, though he leaves the last two undone because it just looks better that way. While he’s there he takes the belt and fastens it, lips parting in awe of just how thin the angel’s waist is. “How do you live? Don’t you need sustenance?” slips out of his lips before he takes a second to think about how intrusive those questions may be. The angel bites down on his bottom lip and glances away, obviously put off by the question. “I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” Hakyeon apologizes as he crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head at himself.

“I don’t know think I live as much as I just _am_ ,” Taekwoon informs, eyes wandering, “I wasn’t and then I was and now I am here until I’m damned or I’m just _not_.”

“I’m afraid those kinds of things are a bit lost on me, Darling, but I can appreciate the sentiment,” Hakyeon admits as he smooths down the front of Taekwoon’s shirt. It is sort of an answer he could have guessed, but it’s still not very satisfying.

When Hakyeon looks the angel again his eyes have faded back to their original color, but without his wings, it feels like something is missing. If he weren’t so ethereal Hakyeon could have mistaken him for human. “You can shift your wings back now if you’d like,” he prompts, mostly for his own comfort.

“Right,” the white-haired male nods and closes his eyes again. With a deep breath, he shifts his wings back and extends them farther than Hakyeon has ever seen them go. He looks beautiful, an understatement, but Hakyeon’s vocabulary is lacking greatly at the moment. Absentmindedly, he wonders if he should learn a few more languages just to better describe the angel. Black looks beyond gorgeous on the angel, though that’s not so surprising. Taekwoon looks gorgeous in everything and, seeing as he is the embodiment of a warm summer night, clear skies with sparkling stars and a breeze that carries the scent of flowers, black is just his color.

“Almost three centuries worth of knowledge and learning, but I can’t think of any words to describe how pretty you look right now,” Hakyeon comments, aware that a line that cheesy belongs in a drama. The blush on the angel’s cheeks is worth the slight embarrassment of having to hear to himself say it. “Here, look at yourself,” he says, gesturing to the mirror.

Taekwoon hesitates for a few moments before turning and raising his eyes to the mirror. It’s silent as he scans himself, eyes roaming up and down as he fidgets in front of the mirror. He turns and looks over his shoulder, puffing out a breath of laughter, perhaps disbelief.

“You don’t like it?”

“I do, it’s just weird to see myself with so many clothes on, human clothes,”  the angel replies. There’s the smallest of smiles settled on his face, one that has Hakyeon wanting to pull out his camera and photograph it to keep forever.

“Woah,” Wonshik comments from the doorway, eyes wide. “You look normal, well, not normal, but like almost normal.”

“You have such a way with words, my dear,” Hakyeon jokes, side-eyeing his child. Wonshik only huffs in response and walks towards the two, leaning around Taekwoon to catch a look at his back.

“Woah,” he repeats, “Part two.”

Taekwoon takes a step closer to Hakyeon and leans in, causing goosebumps to rise on Hakyeon’s skin. The vampire isn’t sure what it is, maybe the presence of magic, or maybe just the proximity of a pretty boy, but he doesn’t put too much thought into it. He just tilts his head and offers Taekwoon his ear because he’s pretty sure that’s what the angel was going for.

“Do I say ‘thank you’ to that?” the angel whispers, breath puffing against Hakyeon’s ear. Wonshik narrows his eyes, like he’s trying to figure out if Taekwoon is kidding or not, but thankfully, doesn’t say anything about it. Although Taekwoon should know by now that the vampires can hear him regardless of whether he whispers or not, Hakyeon would rather not break the illusion of privacy _here_ in front of Wonshik. He only smiles and shakes his head because he is positive that, no matter the younger vampire’s intentions, ‘woah’ and ‘you look normal’ are barely comments to be grateful for.

“Did you come out here to hang out with us?” Hakyeon asks, intentionally changing the subject before Wonshik has the chance to comment on the situation.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I came to get a drink,” Wonshik informs, then, as an afterthought, asks, “Can I?”

The younger vampire is glancing between the two, anxious and thirsty. He shouldn’t be thirsty yet, not even close, but Wonshik has never been great at distinguishing any other strong, negative emotion from thirst. Hakyeon figures it doesn’t hurt, keeping well fed when upset is never a bad idea, but right about now he’s regretting letting Wonshik fall into that habit.

“Well, Leo,” Hakyeon starts, but doesn’t really know what to say after that, concerning the angel at least. “I’d rather you wait,” is what he decides on, knowing that excuse is going to fall short with his child, but hoping it won’t anyway.

“I don’t mind,” Taekwoon speaks up, ruining Hakyeon’s poor, spontaneous plans. The elder vampire’s eyes widen and his head snaps towards the younger. Wonshik, an arguably intelligent vampire with the remarkable ability to be completely stupid, just smiles as if he has won something. Hakyeon resists the urge to facepalm.

“Cool,” Wonshik nods as he spins on his heel, a smug smile still on his face and hands stuffed in the pockets of his sweats. He strolls to the fridge, looking like a dictionary example of nonchalance. Hakyeon lets out a breath and turns his back to the brunette, instead choosing to focus completely on the angel.

“So you like this one?” the raven-haired male asks the angel, brushing a stray fuzz off of his shoulder. Taekwoon hums and nods, running his fingers along the belt. Not for the first time, Hakyeon is realizing just how pretty the angel is, every detail of him. His hands are thin, purple tinted veins running beneath his skin, just beautiful all around. Hakyeon thinks he could do with some rings though, would do well to draw attention to yet another gorgeous part of Taekwoon. “What do you think about jewelry?” he asks, mostly trying to distract himself from the sound of Wonshik shaking a blood bag and turning on the baby bottle warmer they use to warm blood.

“I, uh, I don’t know. I’ve never actually seen it, have only heard about it,” he responds, following Hakyeon’s eyes to his hands.

“Hongbin would have a field day with him,” Wonshik calls from the kitchen. Hakyeon glances back despite his better judgment and watches his child reach into the cupboard in search of a straw. It does nothing to ease his anxiety, his anxiety that seems to be stirring for no reason now. Taekwoon has been around blood, has held Hakyeon’s hand as he cleaned it up from the floor, and he’s vocalizing that he’s fine with it now, so the vampire has no reason for panic. Still, there are butterflies running a rampage in his stomach.

“If you said that in front of Hongbin he’d have a field day with mocking you for using the expression ‘field day’,” Hakyeon responds with a forced chuckle. The timer that Wonshik apparently set on the stove beeps and the younger vampire completely abandons whatever teasing statement that he _definitely_ had sitting on his tongue in favor of spinning around to reach for his drink. Hakyeon’s stomach drops and he whips his head back around to look at Taekwoon. “Leo,” he says, sounding urgent even to himself, “Do you want to try the next one?”

“Yeah,” the angel responds, anxiety in his tone and the quick pace of his heartbeat. Hakyeon puts a smile on his face to hopefully ease the angel’s worries that were sparked because of him. According to his heartbeat, it doesn’t do much.

Hakyeon walks past the angel towards the box and pulls out the next shirt, but it’s red and the vampire is already seeing that, so he grabs a blue one instead. It’s a deep blue, like the sky when dusk is steadily approaching. He turns around to hand it to Taekwoon and perhaps help him unbuckle the belt fastened around his waist, but then Wonshik punches a hole in the blood bag, sticking his straw in and wrapping his lips around it.

Hakyeon freezes, bloodlust hitting him like a wave and crashing over him, washing away his senses along with bits of his sanity. He closes his eyes for a short while, long enough to regain his composure, but not long enough for Wonshik to take notice. The last thing he needs right now is to make Wonshik more anxious and have him throw another blood bag in his face. He just clenches his jaw and hands the shirt over to the angel with a sort of jitteriness that’s only possible for vampires.

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon prompts, and Hakyeon’s eyes snap to him in an instant. Taekwoon doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even blink, just sets a hand on the vampire’s shoulder as he stares into his eyes. Though his heart is beating quite fast, his gaze is steady and even, grounding.

“Anyways, you look good. Hakyeon, could we get some nice things like this for Jaehwan?” Wonshik questions as he waltzes back over, carrying the scent of blood with him. The elder vampire swallows hard and places his own hand over the angel’s, holding it there and using it to keep himself sane.

“Yeah, I’ll look into it,” he responds without thinking much. Wonshik smiles and raises a brow at him before muttering a word that is washed out by Taekwoon’s heartbeat in his ears. After that, Wonshik takes himself and the scent of blood to his room and shuts the door behind himself, effectively cutting off any effect the blood could have on him thanks to a handy spell Jaehwan applied.

Hakyeon finally releases the tension in his body and stumbles forward, only to be caught by Taekwoon’s arm wrapping around his middle. “I-I’m sorry,” Hakyeon apologizes as he regains his balance and gently pulls Taekwoon’s arm away to place at his side. “I need to feed,” he mutters, still trying to pull himself together.

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon assures, though it does nothing to make Hakyeon feel any better. He’s so frustrated with himself he almost wants to cry, for putting the angel in this situation and for foolishly letting getting himself go this long without feeding, but he can’t. He can’t cry now. He has to be the strong one despite his display of weakness just moments prior. And so, he bites the inside of his cheek and holds the shirt up to Taekwoon again, ignores the worry swimming in the angel’s eyes as he does.

He will have to go to the feeder house tomorrow. He can’t let this go on any longer, shouldn’t have let it go this far in the first place. That means leaving Taekwoon and Wonshik again though, and this time it’s not just ‘something dangerous’ in the city, it’s two dead bodies. This is one of the very few times he regrets being born again as a vampire. Life would be so much easier if he could just run to the grocery store and pick up a few things with the police to rely on for safety. Unfortunately for both the vampires and the angel, it’s not so simple.

“Shall we continue?” he prompts with a sort of baseless confidence in his tone.

  


Finishing things with Taekwoon was relatively painless and trouble-free, thankfully. The angel looked absolutely gorgeous in everything Hongbin had crafted for him, which was no surprise, but still, Hakyeon was in awe. How could he not be? Taekwoon is simply _too_ pretty.

Though, what he has to do now is a different story. After sending the angel to his room to put his clothes away with an overflow of compliments and ‘human’ clothing, he has to convince Wonshik to stay home with Taekwoon and watch dramas with him while Hakyeon left to feed.

See, Hakyeon formulated a plan while he was assisting the white-haired male. Both Taekwoon and Wonshik spend too much time doing nothing, just left to worry and think, that is something Hakyeon knows. Another thing Hakyeon knows is that just leaving two people in the same house won’t make for a sufficient distraction for either of them, but dramas are good for that. Dramas pass the time quickly, so it won’t seem like Hakyeon is gone for long and _maybe_ Taekwoon will learn some things about this realm. Even if dramas aren’t a perfect reflection of life, dramas having more exaggerated bits and romanticized scenarios, they’ll at least help with some of the basics, Hakyeon thinks.

“Absolutely fucking not. Hakyeon, I told you I had too much time to think, but that doesn’t mean I want to voluntarily kill my brain cells,” Wonshik responds, not even sparing Hakyeon a glance as he scrolls through his phone. It’s the reaction the elder was expecting, which is why he has come prepared to compromise. He figured, if all else fails, he’ll really send him on that trip to France.

“Okay then, let’s compromise,” Hakyeon offers as he plops onto Wonshik’s bed and pulls him to a sitting position by his wrist. The younger vampire groans, but lets himself be pulled up anyway. “What would it take to get you to do that for me?”

“I want to visit Jaehwan.”

“That can be done,” Hakyeon nods and sighs. He was expecting that much.

“The night after tomorrow,” the younger adds with a firm tone, a contrast to his borderline heartbreaking puppy dog eyes. Hakyeon makes a small noise at the back of his throat, somewhere between a sigh and scoff. He supposes it was bold of him to assume that his child would actually listen to him when he grounded him to their home. Wonshik frowns and grabs hold of Hakyeon’s hands, a desperate gesture disguised by the way he’s swinging their clasped hands in the air between them. “I know you want me safe and stuff, but I swear I will watch all of fucking Boys Over Flowers with him if you let me go.”

Hakyeon stares at him for a few more moments, scanning his face and only finding desperation there. He aches for his child, which is why he’s weak as a maker, but that’s just another habit he should have broken and still hasn’t. He gives Wonshik’s hands a light squeeze lowers his head in defeat.

“There is going to have to be strict rules and you’re going to have to follow them or I will seriously lock you in the basement until all of this is cleaned up. I love you and I love Jaehwan, so I want to keep you both safe, but I can’t do that unless you listen to me with this, okay, Wonshik?”

Wonshik grins so wide Hakyeon fears his lips might break open and releases his hands only to jump forward and wrap his arms around the elder’s neck. The hug only lasts a second or so before Wonshik sits back, tight grip on Hakyeon’s shoulders.

“God, I’m gonna regret this so bad tomorrow, but thank you, Hakyeon,” Wonshik tells him, a bittersweet statement.

“You’re welcome, Love,” Hakyeon responds, patting the hands on his shoulders and wondering if things will ever get any easier for them.

  


\---------

 

To put it simply, Taekwoon is frightened. This time though, he’s scared _for_ the vampires rather than _of_ them. He doesn’t want Hakyeon to leave, not when reality has finally struck the angel and he has realized the danger of all it, the murders and Council. He wants Hakyeon to stay in with him so they can talk about all the new, fun things like lace and jewelry (and love). Though, the vampire taught him to be empathetic and with that, he couldn’t deny Hakyeon his sustenance.

So, he takes a deep breath once Hakyeon has left to make some phone call and tells himself that now is really not the time to grow selfish. He just wants Hakyeon home with him and it _hurts._ The vampire told him that he’d made plans for Wonshik to keep him company and teach him a few things, but he doesn’t care about that at the moment. There is so much to think about now, more so now that he knows everything, or what he thinks is everything. He knows about the dangers now and, though he knows it’s selfish, he almost wishes he could continue to live in a state of blissful ignorance. It was easier to think that Hakyeon’s burdens were that of a simple nature, clothes and extra household tasks, rather than blood and death.

He huffs out a shaky breath and sits himself down on the floor instead of awkwardly squatting in front of his dresser. His clothes are put away which is one less thing he and Hakyeon will have to worry about, but that seems as if it’ll be little help with the issues he currently facing. He doesn’t quite understand everything about this realm, the world Hakyeon and Wonshik consume themselves in, and that scares him too. He just wants to be okay, wants those around him to be okay.

“Hey, sorry, I just had to talk to- Oh, Darling,” Hakyeon says, dropping his phone and letting the door fall shut behind him as he rushes to the angel’s side. Taekwoon’s eyes widen, worried and confused as to why Hakyeon is so concerned as to drop to his knees beside the angel.

“Oh,” Taekwoon lets out, just a breath, when he blinks and feels the scathing warmth of tears running down his cheeks. Hakyeon cups his face and wipes the wetness away with a touch as soft as his smiles. The angel lets out a whimper despite his best efforts and nuzzles against the vampire’s palm.

“What’s wrong? Do you want me to stay home tomorrow? I can figure something out. I can-”

“No,” Taekwoon insists, closing his eyes for a few moments as he wraps his hands around Hakyeon’s wrists to keep hem in place, “I-It’s a lot, but I will learn. I will learn just as I have learned to be empathetic and about Council.”

“You really are a beautiful thing, you know?” Hakyeon prompts, “I will do everything in my power to make sure you stay safe in this realm and that I stay well enough to keep you safe.”

“Thank you,” Taekwoon smiles, a full smile for the first time. Hakyeon seems to appreciate it, offering a wide, toothy smile in return. He tips his head forward so it’s resting against the angel’s and chuckles. Taekwoon doesn’t understand, but he puffs out a breath of laughter anyway and asks, “What is there to laugh at?”

“I don’t know. I’m just happy to be here with you like this.”

“Then stay,” Taekwoon proposes and he’s not sure if he means a few more minutes, just the day, or _forever_ , but he thinks he’d be content with any of those choices. Hakyeon leans back and nods, finally removing his hands from the angel’s face so he can pull him into a hug instead. Maybe this is love, Taekwoon thinks, something this good must be love.

 

\--------

 

Taekwoon falls asleep quite quickly after that, head resting Hakyeon’s arm that is very much asleep and arm thrown over the vampire’s middle, a touch much lighter than the one he had used to save him from falling earlier. Hakyeon’s hand, his free hand, is threading through the angel’s hair, comforting him even as he sleeps. Perhaps it is for Hakyeon’s own comfort as well, but that is beside the point. If one will ignore the fact that Hakyeon is still in his night clothes, it’s the perfect picture of domestic bliss.

Sadly, in reality, it is not domestic bliss. Taekwoon was crying for mostly unknown reasons to the vampire. He can infer that it was because the angel was overwhelmed with worries and new things to figure out, but he can’t be sure. He could have pried, yes, but why do that when Taekwoon has been doing so well with him? The angel has been speaking his mind more often, touching Hakyeon, trusting him. Hakyeon has so many other things to worry about and, though he doesn’t want to neglect his precious angel, he figures he may as well give the other male the freedom to decide whether he wants to come to Hakyeon about this particular topic or not.

It is another thing they’ll have to get past and Hakyeon has faith that they will. He loves the angel enough to sleep in jeans after all; There aren’t many things he wouldn’t do for Taekwoon.


	14. Night 13- Heaven (in a Vampire's Eyes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im very sorry about the late update but life gets in the way of writing
> 
> anyway this is 6.5k,, i hope you enjoy it

 

The last thing Hakyeon wants to do when he wakes up is actually get up. He fears that if he moves the smallest bit Taekwoon will rise from his slumber and resent Hakyeon for staying with him the entire day, or at least be uncomfortable with that fact that he’s now fully clinging to Hakyeon. The angel’s head is resting against the vampire’s chest now and Taekwoon’s heart beating is a tangible feeling against his middle rather than a sound he keys into from two rooms away.

Hakyeon lets himself smile, ridiculously wide and maybe a little creepy, and cards his fingers through the angel’s silky hair. The soft pitter patter of rain outside is even more calming and if the vampire weren’t so giddy to simply be here like this he might just fall back asleep. He’s only a little bothered by the fact that he’s still in jeans, well, he’s more than a little bothered, but he thinks it was worth it.

He wants to sink further down into the bed and pull the angel close until his senses are overridden by Taekwoon; Taekwoon’s soft puffs of breath against Hakyeon’s thin t-shirt, the scent of Taekwoon that lays thick in the air now that he has made the room his own, the sound of Taekwoon’s pulse filling the otherwise empty room, the warmth created between the two of them that Hakyeon wants to sink into and disappear in. Taekwoon.

His time to mentally gush over his love for the angel is cut short though, because then his phone alarm is blaring from where he left it on the floor. He slips out of the bed quickly and carefully, gently lowering the angel down onto the sheets instead of letting him flop down because of the vampire’s sudden absence. He silences his phone as quickly as possible, but still, when he looks back, Taekwoon is rubbing his eyes and sitting up off the bed. “Hakyeon,” he murmurs, sounding distraught despite the slow speed of his actions and decently steady heart rate.

Hakyeon stuffs his phone in his pocket and walks forward until his knees hit the bed then reaches forward to cup the angel’s cheeks. Taekwoon smiles behind his own hands covering his face and Hakyeon thinks his heart might just have skipped a beat, had it still been beating. “Good evening, my darling,” he practically whispers as he raises a hand to give a barely-there tug to Taekwoon’s wrist. Taekwoon takes the hint and lowers his hands, but he can’t hold back the sleepy smile on his face.

A thought darts across Hakyeon’s mind, one that says that he could easily lean in and kiss the angel from this position, but he doesn’t dare consider entertaining that thought for a moment. Instead, he bites the inside of his cheek as punishment for even letting that thought come into his head.

“Yours,” Taekwoon says in a curious tone, but it’s not quite a question. It takes Hakyeon a moment to realize what the angel means, too caught up in his own head, but when he does realize he just about chokes on his words. Perhaps it was a bit of a freudian slip, letting the word ‘my’ slip out when referring to the angel.

Instead of making his mistake known, he just plays into it with a smile and, “Well, you aren’t Wonshik’s darling are you?”

“I suppose not,” Taekwoon responds, blushing and looking down. Hakyeon’s smile grows, as if that’s possible at this point, and he drops his hands from the angel’s face.

His phone vibrates in his pocket, letting him know he really has to get moving, and he just barely holds back a sigh. “I have to go get ready to leave, Darling. You should rest some more and I’ll come in to see you before I go.”

Taekwoon looks up to him with some urgency then and reaches out a hand to grab at Hakyeon’s wrist. He looks between Hakyeon and his hand on the vampire’s wrist with obvious conflict in the furrow of his brows, like he can’t believe his own actions. Before the angel has the chance to get scared and recoil, Hakyeon uses his free hand to lift the angel’s hand from his wrist and entwine their fingers. “I’ll try to only be gone for a few hours and Wonshik will be here with you, there’ll be something to do. I’m sorry, I really am, and, as much as I’d rather stay here with you, this is something that needs to happen,” he explains through a growing frown settling on his own face.

“I know,” Taekwoon replies with a soft huff of disappointment rather than annoyance, and looks down, again. A few near-silent moments pass of Taekwoon’s lips parting then gluing themselves together again, like he’s working up the courage to say something. The vampire waits patiently, rubbing the back of the angel’s hand soothingly with his thumb in an attempt to calm him. Apparently, it works, because then Taekwoon is looking to him, or maybe somewhere just past him, and saying, “Can I come sit with you, just while you get ready? I won’t interfere. I just-- want to sit with you.” He trails off without any real confidence, but Hakyeon can’t force himself to be upset about that particular fact. He’s sure he will be sad about it later, when he has a chance to think about it more, but right now he’s just happy.

“Of course,” Hakyeon replies, giving his hand a light squeeze. “Fair warning that my sheets aren’t silk though,” he adds with a light laugh, and Taekwoon smiles too.

 

Hakyeon is standing in the doorway of his closet, staring in and trying to focus on anything besides the way the angel is watching him, contentedly cocooned in Hakyeon’s comforter. He has already done his makeup and hair after a quick shower, giving a few enthusiastic lessons to the angel in the process. That was relatively easy, seeing as the angel knows nothing of makeup so there’s no set standard and no real difficulty in impressing him, or fascinating him at the very least. Clothes though, Taekwoon has seen a lot of those and it’s beginning to feel like trying to pick a dress for prom, what Hakyeon imagines that to feel like anyway.

He silently asks himself, ‘what would Hongbin do?’ It is a question only used in this context because Hongbin is absolutely insufferable when it comes to anything else. How the miserable kid ever managed to land Sanghyuk is beyond him and he’s not sure he ever wants to hear the tale of how a demon who hates romance fell for a mischievous yet adorable incubus _and actually managed_ to get the other to return those feelings.

After a few more minutes of staring and rummaging through his closet, he finally decides on a simple black button-up, sleek and sophisticated yet modest enough for mourning. He also pulls out his cumberbund with a belt detail and carefully tailored pants that are more navy than black. Then, he looks to the angel and finds him staring again, though he’s not sure what else was he expecting. It’s a little awkward if he’s being honest, mostly because he is probably about to undress in front of Taekwoon.

“Shall I change here or somewhere more private?” he asks. The angel looks to him like he isn’t sure why the question is being asked, something that isn’t entirely surprising to Hakyeon. They probably didn’t even teach Taekwoon about this sort of indecency, seeing as he was most likely never supposed to know much about the human realm, let alone convene with them.

“Here is okay,” Taekwoon gives him an answer, but Hakyeon is still left conflicted.

He steps away, towards the clothes he set out and heaves an unneeded breath. He isn’t one to falter under pressure and he isn’t about to now, he has too much pride for that. He unties the knot of his robe and lets it fall open at his sides. He slips his pants on quickly, not exactly comfortable with Taekwoon seeing what long faded scars of old bites aren’t covered by his underwear. It’s not that he’s ashamed, he just doesn’t think the angel needs to know about that right now. With that miniature crisis averted, he doesn’t feel that he has much to worry about.

 

“Okay, done,” Hakyeon says after slipping on a few accessories and glancing at the time on his watch. He’s cutting things close, probably because he spent most of his time distracted by the angel, but he still has enough time to tell Taekwoon goodbye.

“You’re pretty,” Taekwoon comments, finally pushing the blankets down to his lap and emerging from his cocoon. He looks down as soon as Hakyeon looks to him, but it does nothing to hide the blush on his cheeks.

Hakyeon smiles and steps forward to ruffle the angel’s hair as he says, “I know. Thank you, darling.” His phone vibrates in his pocket again, probably a text from Minhyuk letting him know that his ride has just left to pick him up, and he sighs. This catches the angel’s attention again and he looks up to the vampire with worry in his eyes. “I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Do you want me to make sure Wonshik is up before I leave?” he asks. Taekwoon shakes his head despite the obvious pout on his lips and lets his hands fumble with the blankets in his lap. “You’re welcome to stay in here until he does get up,” Hakyeon offers, perhaps more for the sake of coming home to the scent of the angel on his sheets than Taekwoon’s own comfort. Perhaps he is selfish, but if they both benefit from it then there is no one to complain. “Do you need anything else from me then?”

“Stay safe,” the angel responds, looking into the vampire’s eyes now. His eyes are earnest and honest, like he’s somehow willing Hakyeon to stay safe. Though he knows the angel meant it as a completely serious thing, Hakyeon can’t help but let out the lightest puff of laughter. It’s just that Taekwoon is so cute, Hakyeon can barely bear it.

“I will,” Hakyeon assures with a nod. “You know you can contact me at any time, right? You just have to tell Wonshik to call me and he will give you the phone, okay? And make sure to shift your wings away when you change. Also-”

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon cuts in with a soft tone, “I know. Thank you.”

“I just want to make sure you’re going to be okay here, sweet darling,” Hakyeon tells him with a melancholy expression. Much to the vampire’s dismay, he hears a car approaching, gravel crunching under the tires as it pulls into the driveway. “I’ll try not to be too long, but there’s a lot going on right now, so I can’t promise anything.”

“It’s okay, just stay safe,” Taekwoon repeats with a barely-there sigh.

“I will,” Hakyeon nods, and begins to lean in just as he would with Wonshik to peck at his forehead or his cheek, then halts and clears his throat. He steps back, realizing he’s gotten much too comfortable, and instead offers a smile. “Have fun with Wonshik and if he bothers you then take him out with your wings again,” he half-jokes. The angel’s eyes widen and Hakyeon belatedly realizes that if Taekwoon doesn’t see the humor in it he is only going to come back to more problems. “I’m joking, Darling,” he says and, apparently, now really is the worst time to introduce something new to the angel. Minhyuk is calling him, probably got a call from his driver and is now worried about the lack of Hakyeon’s presence.

He sighs and reaches down to hold the angel’s hand, “A joke, or sarcasm I guess, is when someone playfully says something they don’t mean or says something funny in order to make you laugh. I’m so sorry, Love, I really have to go now, but Wonshik is full of sarcasm, so I’m sure tonight will be one of learning. I’ll see you later. That’s a promise, okay?”

“Okay,” Taekwoon murmurs as Hakyeon starts towards the door, hands clasped together until the vampire is just barely out of reach and the angel’s fingertips graze his palm. It tickles and it allows him to smile again, just a small bit. If anything, he hopes the angel was able to smile as well.

Silence, a somber greeting if Hakyeon says so. He understands that things have been hectic, maybe too much so to assign someone to babysit the shoes at the front door, but it worries him anyway. He simply tells himself that the employees must be elsewhere and happily distracted since the whole of vampires in the city have apparently decided that the feeder house is too dangerous to visit. A small part of him knows that’s true, that this place is an obvious target for anyone aiming to kill vampires, but he needs to feed and he cares about the occupants of this house. So, here he is.

He toes off his shoes and lines them up against the wall next to the door. Then, he waits less than a minute before stepping further into the house because, frankly, he’s impatient and can’t bear this stillness. He listens more closely as he walks, finding that a few indistinct heartbeats are audible among equally indistinct chatter. So, there are humans awake and quite lively at that. It’s kind of nice, to know that happiness and life can still exist through these hard times.

A girl exits a room, catching Hakyeon off guard since his mind was decidedly elsewhere. He flinches, but quickly regains his composure and offers the girl the smallest of smiles. “Oh, Sir, I’m so sorry. A lot of us have the night off because of last night and I wasn’t informed you were coming,” she apologizes, ducking her head and adjusting the blanket she has wrapped around her.

Hakyeon waves a dismissive hand despite the new burning pit of curiosity in his stomach and responds, “There is no need to apologize for living.” He wants to ask what happened last night that would prompt a large number of feeders to have an entire night off, but asking a question to an employee would be utterly stupid. He is supposed to know everything. He is supposed to be in charge, more or less. It wouldn’t do to sound as clueless as he is.

“Oh, do I hear someone being insufferably sweet? Cha Hakyeon, is that you?” comes Eunkwang’s voice as he rounds the corner, catching Hakyeon off guard again. There’s a smile on his face, as always, and it’s quite refreshing. “Oh, look at that, it is,” Eunkwang adds with a laugh as Hakyeon steps forward to steal a hug from the other vampire.

Though, he doesn’t know exactly why the elder is here, it’s nice to see another familiar face, especially when there’s a smile on it. Eunkwang is an old vampire and a good leader, one that even Minhyuk and Ilhoon look up to. He’s bright in the worst of circumstances, to the point that it’s a little scary sometimes, but it’s something Hakyeon admires anyway. What’s astonishing is that he only has one child, surprising with both his age and his compassion. Though, when his child is as exquisite he is, what use would he have for another? Eunkwang’s child, Hyunsik, is the one who taught Wonshik how to play piano, but, unfortunately, his grace didn’t rub off on the reckless vampire.

“If you’re trying to insult me I’m afraid it’s not working,” Hakyeon chuckles as he releases Eunkwang from his arms. Over the shorter vampire’s shoulder, he can see Minhyuk murmur something to the girl before she retreats with a crooked smile, but he doesn’t have time to question it before Hyunsik is stepping forward to claim a hug for himself.

“Oh, please, if I were going to insult you, you’d know,” Eunkwang tells him, playfully slapping at his shoulder as he laughs.

“Has he always been this coy?” Hakyeon jokes as he steps away from Hyunsik, hands lingering on his upper arms. Hyunsik smiles and breathes out a laugh, eyes crinkling into smiles along with him.

“He’s been spending a lot of time with Sungjae lately,” Hyunsik replies. Hakyeon nods and hums in understanding, earning another slap on the shoulder from Eunkwang. “How is Wonshik, by the way?”

“He’s doing well enough,” Hakyeon responds, vague. The energy of the room drops suddenly and turns into something thick, almost like a tangible weight pressing against all of them. It was a relatively harmless question, but the implications behind it are obvious. How is Wonshik doing with this, with the deaths, with Jaehwan, with his own impulsivities? None of which are questions Hakyeon feels like answering at the moment, especially not in the hallway where anyone and everyone can hear.

Minhyuk clears his throat, capturing the attention of the other three vampires, “Well, I guess we will have to make plans to sit down and talk another night. Hakyeon and I have business to attend to. I’ll have someone grab your coats.”

“Okay, I get it, we are being kicked out,” Eunkwang concedes with a breath of laughter, rescuing the mood as he always does. “It was nice seeing you, Hakyeon, Minhyuk.”

 

“Council dropped by last night. They asked to use our feeders while they’re in town,” is what Minhyuk decides to greet him with once they are shut in his office and the other two vampires have safely gone. Hakyeon feels like the rug has just been pulled from under his feet at that statement and, while he’s glad he now knows what happened last night, he’s not at all happy with the answer.

Council, a force with endless resources and power, is running around asking for favors. It’s certainly not a good sign. Usually, they bring their personal feeders with them as a show of wealth or take to the streets for the thrill of the chase, but the streets are, evidently, unsafe and their feeders are too valuable to put in harm’s way. It also leads Hakyeon to believe that they’ll be here a while longer than the ‘few days’ Ilhoon mentioned.

“Do they even have a handle on things at all?” Hakyeon asks, plopping himself back into the plush chair behind him. He agreed to put his trust into Council, but now he is seriously doubting that they deserve it.

“Honestly, I don’t know. Eunkwang said he was going to talk to Ilhoon about it now that he’s in town,” Minhyuk replies, running his hands through his hair. He mutters a curse and smooths his hair down again as he side-eyes Hakyeon. He catches him just as he is about to speak and comment on how Eunkwang having a relationship with Ilhoon after he has joined Council could easily reel him into trouble, or worse, Council. “I know,” Minhyuk cuts him off, “I don’t like it either, but Eunkwang knows how to keep himself safe by now. Plus, he practically raised the kid and it gives us information, so we don’t really have room to complain right now, you know? I’m doing my best here, but it’d help to know _something._ I can only play the strong, assured leader for so long.”

Hakyeon frowns and leans forward to rest a hand on Minhyuk’s knee. He feels bad, he does, but he can’t do much right now. His plate is full, so he just hopes Eunkwang has come ready to work in his place. “I understand, I do, but whatever I do to help, I’ll have to do at home. Wonshik is-” he trails off, struggling to find a word that accurately describes both his denial of fear and display of it by demanding protection for Jaehwan.

“Wonshik,” Minhyuk fills in with a tired smile.

“Yeah, Wonshik is Wonshik,” Hakyeon breathes out a laugh, “Loving a human comes with danger and hardships already, but now with this- I’m just- I’m trying to take care of him as well as I can with the circumstances.” His statement isn’t a lie, per se, but he does know he’s not doing a very good job of keeping true to his word. It has become a bit difficult to focus on Wonshik when there is an actual angel, who knows nothing of this realm and has come into it with the greeting of murder, in his home. It’s a borderline tragedy, really.

Minhyuk groans and flops backwards to slouch against the tall back of the chair, “Fuck this. Are you thirsty?”

“Always.”

 

A door opens to a feeder room, faux leather furniture and white carpets that are almost completely impractical, but easy to bleach. There are three humans sitting there, two men of considerable size and a woman with some bulk as well. Hakyeon can hear their heartbeats, loud and steady as they meet the vampire’s eyes, and feels his mouth run dry. Red fills his vision, but this time it’s the only thing he wants to see.

He steps into the room with a smirk on his face.

 

\---------

 

“Oh my god, you love him. Or, better yet, you’re _in love_ with him!” the female protagonist's best friend practically screeches over the phone after the heroine gushes about her feelings towards the male protagonist. Wonshik scoffs in disgust and looks towards Leo, hoping to find a matching expression so that they can turn this shit off and watch literally anything that doesn’t involve romance. Instead, Leo is staring towards the screen like he’s had some sort of revelation. He wonders if he should even bother asking, but quickly decides that whatever conversation that is going to come out of this is better than watching this.

“What’s up with you?” he asks, rearranging himself and his massive comforter so that he can face the angel.

Leo looks to him, wide-eyed and heart skipping a few beats, then says, “I love Hakyeon.”

Of all the things he was expecting to hear, _that,_ was surely not one of them. He knew it before, more or less, but actually hearing the words is more than just a little unpleasant. He was just kind of hoping that the two would dance around their feelings until they either burn out or it’s too late and Leo has to leave. If Hakyeon gets distracted by a potential relationship _now,_ of all times, Wonshik may just run away and beg Minhyuk to adopt him. He has more money anyway.

“Leo,” he starts, carefully so that he doesn’t cause any trouble and risk his trip to Jaehwan’s place, “Did the drama tell you that?” Leo hesitates before nodding. Wonshik can only sigh. Of course, through all of the flirting and Hakyeon’s painfully obvious heart eyes, Leo would realize this shit because of a romantic drama. “I hate my life, I really do,” he says under his breath, prompting the angel to furrow his brows and lean in closer. “I never thought I’d see the day that I have to be the responsible one, but here we are. There are a lot of not-so-good things going on right now, you know this, and Hakyeon has to take care of all of it. He is responsible for us, the feeder house, playing nice with Council, and Jaehwan. All of those things are very important, yes?” Wonshik asks. Leo nods. “Is this that important? Or at least can you say that if you and Hakyeon acknowledge your feelings or whatever, it won’t get in the way of everything else?”

Leo avoids Wonshik’s eyes as he nods, which doesn’t give the vampire much confidence at all. He sighs and drops his face into his hands. He doesn’t know what he is supposed to do with this situation. Part of him wants to just drop it and be done, but another part of him wants to yell at Leo that they could die if he and Hakyeon fuck things up. “How am I supposed to trust that?” Wonshik sighs again, lifting his head.

“You don’t trust me?” the angel asks with wide eyes.

“I don’t know. You made me give you a reason to trust me, but you haven’t done anything to make me trust you,” he responds, his frustrations coming out despite his best efforts. He just wants things fixed and he doesn’t know how to get there or make that happen. He just wants to be safe, wants Jaehwan to be safe.

“Then, uh, my name isn’t Leo. It’s Taekwoon.” Wonshik only blinks at him, unsure of how to react to that. He can see what the angel is trying to do, give him the reason for trust that he asked for, but Wonshik just doesn’t know what to say. He never expected to know the angel’s real name. He figured that Hakyeon must know, but he just assumed that he would be calling him Leo until they parted. “Can you trust me now?”

“Fine,” Wonshik concedes with a shrug, “Since we trust each other and we are friends now, can I say something?”

“Sure.”

“I hate this stuff, can we _please_ literally do anything else?”

“Piano?”

“ _God,_ yes.”

 

\-------

 

Hakyeon feels refreshed, to say the very least. His body feels light, his skin is glowing, even his voice is smoother.

He bounds up the porch stairs and practically skips to the door. He’s sure he looks like an idiot, but Hakyeon doesn’t much care. Besides, if the driver holds any hope of maintaining his job, he will keep what he has just witnessed to himself. Hakyeon is just excited to be home, safe with those he loves.

He enters their home to find an empty couch and a black television screen, but doesn’t even have time to panic because he can hear the piano being played and Wonshik scream singing upstairs. He doesn’t think he’s ever been so thankful for chaos.

Hakyeon doesn’t hesitate before heading up the stairs, silent footsteps signaling no one, besides Wonshik if he’s even paying attention, to his presence. He is ready to skip down the hall and greet his loves with tight hugs and bright smiles until Wonshik goes silent. The piano goes silent as well after a beat, but, again, he doesn’t have time to panic before the younger vampire speaks up again. “Hey, don’t laugh!” Wonshik scolds through his own laughter.

“I didn’t,” Taekwoon responds, voice calm, if not a bit defensive. Hakyeon smiles to himself just at the sound of the angel’s voice, which would be embarrassing if anyone had been able to see him. Luckily, he stopped himself before he walked out from behind the wall and into the doorway.

“I saw you smile and that’s basically the same thing with you. You sing then, dude, see if you can do better,” Wonshik prompts with a huff. Hakyeon bites down on his bottom lip to stifle a laugh because, whether he’s proud of it or not, he is now officially sneaking around his own house and eavesdropping.

He hears Taekwoon clear his throat and Hakyeon bites harder on his own lip, feeling like a giddy child. Listening closely, he hears an intake of breath before the angel begins to sing. It’s one of Wonshik’s songs, which begs the question of how long they’ve been messing around in there and if they ever watched TV at all. It sounds beyond beautiful coming from the angel, able to hit all the high notes with a grace and ease that Wonshik never could. Of course, Wonshik is talented, but an actual angel is stiff competition. Hakyeon figures the phrase ‘voice of an angel’ exists for a reason.

“Okay, well, now you’re just showing off, Taekwoon,” the younger vampire huffs again. Hakyeon is so shocked, hearing that name out of Wonshik’s mouth, that his keys slip right out of his hands, jingling in the air before clanking loudly against the hardwood floor. Taekwoon stops singing as well as playing, if he is the one playing anyway, and Hakyeon is overcome with a very specific, childish form of embarrassment.

“You’ve been caught,” Wonshik calls from the room, obviously amused. The elder vampire silently scolds himself as he steps out into the open doorway.

“I wasn’t hiding,” he lies with a smile he has been unable to get rid of since he heard Taekwoon speak. His cheeks are starting to hurt, but he can’t bring it upon himself to be upset about it. He is just _happy_. He’s happy that he’s home, that his loves are safe, that they get along, and that he doesn’t have to worry about feeding for a while. He can simply exist happily here, if only for the rest of this night.

Wonshik merely gives him a doubtful look and says, “I felt you, idiot.”

“You were listening?” Taekwoon cuts in before Hakyeon has the time to berate his child for his disrespect.

Hakyeon wants to lie, but he’d rather not make the habit with Taekwoon and his secret is already out anyway. He nods as he tells the angel, “It was beautiful, Darling.” Taekwoon blushes to the tips of his ears and looks away, prompting Wonshik to fake a gag.

The younger vampire starts out of the room, but Hakyeon catches him by the back of his collar before he can leave. “I have questions for you, brat,” he says, maintaining his hold on Wonshik’s shirt, “How do you know his name?”

Wonshik isn’t outwardly rude, but he is reckless, so it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the vampire had overheard the name and didn’t think before using it. It also wouldn’t be at all surprising if the angel were too scared to say anything in protest about it.

“He told me,” the younger vampire responds, sounding tired and perhaps a little offended.

“I did,” Taekwoon adds in defense of the younger.

“Well, I’m glad you two are getting along,” Hakyeon grins as he releases Wonshik and straightens out his shirt. Wonshik huffs at him and sticks out his tongue, an action that Hakyeon doesn’t imitate now that Taekwoon is in the room. He just stares back at his child with a bored expression and playfully smacks the other vampire on the hip as punishment.

“Yeah, I’m gonna go downstairs now so you guys can continue being gross,” Wonshik says before turning to Taekwoon and adding, “Good luck, Taek.”

Hakyeon allows him to leave this time and happily walks further into the room to lean forward onto the piano. He rests his elbows on the smooth surface of the piano and looks to the angel, “You really do have a beautiful voice, but I’m sorry that Wonshik is a brat.”

“I think he’s nice,” Taekwoon tells him, eyes skimming the keys of the piano instead of the vampire in front of him. Hakyeon just fights the urge to pull him close and whisper sweet things and promises into his ear until he gets it, until he understands that he is loved and doesn’t have to be shy here. The angel has gotten better at not holding back and speaking his mind, but he still averts his eyes when he gets shy or embarrassed and, as cute as it is, it’s also disappointing.

“You know, it makes me really happy to hear that you trust him. It makes me feel a little better about leaving,” he says, unnecessarily nervous.

“It’s okay. I just,” Taekwoon pauses as he glances between Hakyeon and the keys. His eyes finally settle on the vampire as he finishes with, “I missed you.”

“Then I won’t leave your side for the rest of the night, how’s that?” he offers, purely self-indulgent. It’s hard not to feel pure joy when Taekwoon says that to him, so sweet and undeniably gorgeous. The curtains are open so the moonlight is flooding in and forming a sort of halo effect around the angel. How fitting, Hakyeon thinks.

“What about the day?” the angel asks with worry in his tone.

“I’ll stay with you then too,” Hakyeon promises. He’d stay with Taekwoon forever if he asked and, _god,_ how he hopes the angel will ask.

 

\--------

 

Taekwoon was told a lot of things about love, but it’s still a foreign concept to him, a human concept, a sin. The ones who teach in heaven, the Old Ones, are strict because they must be. They have strict punishments that uphold strict rules, which is why Taekwoon has never even thought about loving or being loved before. Now, he hasn’t been able to stop wondering why they didn’t teach him what love really is, though he thinks he already knows the answer, he’s just not satisfied with it.

Angels must be perfect, don’t have the option to be anything but that. They fall out of line for one second and they’re fated to wither away in the human realm. Angels don’t have room for love because it makes them weak, creates a path for empathy and compassion, things that can’t exist in the cold heart of an angel. Angels can’t be weak because they must be perfect and love is a human weakness, a human sin.

Still, looking at Hakyeon right now, he refuses to believe that, or doesn’t much care if it is true. Hakyeon loves him and Hakyeon is the strongest creature he has ever seen. To fearlessly display his weaknesses as if they’re strengths is strength in the angel’s eyes. He loves unashamedly and Taekwoon wants to do the same, to love Hakyeon as he has been loved by him.

“Is this hand feeling better now?” Hakyeon asks, though Taekwoon never complained in the first place. Taekwoon snaps back to reality and nods, maybe a little too quickly, when Hakyeon looks up to him. Hakyeon’s face is so close to his as they lie on their sides in Hakyeon’s bed and, instead of wanting to run away from this vampire, he only feels safe.How could he not when Hakyeon is so careful when he touches the angel, like if he holds him too tightly he will shatter apart in his palms.

He can hear Hakyeon’s voice in his head when the vampire looks back down to their hands between them. “You’re going to be sore if you play for too long,” the black haired male had said as he watched Taekwoon tire himself out over the piano. Taekwoon only shook his head, which prompted Hakyeon to continue with, “Is that because you’re an angel or because you’re stubborn?” Taekwoon resolved that that was at least partly a joke, so he decided to ignore it and continue playing. He supposes that was just a testament to his stubbornness though.

Here Hakyeon is though, massaging the angel’s hands like it’s a necessary thing that the angel requested. “Okay, other hand then,” Hakyeon prompts, letting go of Taekwoon’s right hand in favor of reaching for his left. It’s a bit awkward since Taekwoon is lying on his left side, but the vampire allows him to adjust and get comfortable before he begins again.

Taekwoon looks down now too, admiring the way their skin tones contrast. Hakyeon’s tan skin practically glows and contrasts the angel’s fairer skin beautifully. Hakyeon is the embodiment of _warmth_ , his touch, his skin, his smile, his eyes. His eyes are round and delicate, but when he looks at the angel it is with such an intensity and warmth that Taekwoon wouldn’t be surprised if they housed two little suns inside them. It would make sense, he thinks, since every time the vampire looks at him his cheeks seem to heat up.

“You know,” Hakyeon starts again, capturing his attention, again, “It’s good that you have something you enjoy here, but you should be more careful with your body. Your health is very important, Darling, and, while I do what I can, I can’t possess you to be more careful.” This is what Wonshik had dreadfully referred to as nagging, but Taekwoon finds it endearing. There was no one to worry over him like this in Heaven. He will admit that he doesn’t know much, but he can tell this is love. He doesn’t know how he is sure, without any doubt, but he is. Again, he is filled with want, the want to love Hakyeon as he has been loved by him.

So, he slips his fingers into Hakyeon and squeezes lightly to get his attention. The vampire looks up to him again with questioning eyes and the angel swallows hard before saying, “I love you.” He forces himself to make eye contact as he says it because he needs Hakyeon to feel it the way that Hakyeon makes him feel, if that’s even possible.

Hakyeon stares at him, lips parted and eyes wider than Taekwoon has ever seen them. He begins to worry when a few seconds pass with no response from Hakyeon. He doesn’t know if you are supposed to say that, if it’s some kind of unwritten rule that you shouldn’t say it unless you’re asked. Hakyeon only told him when asked even though, now that Taekwoon thinks about it, the vampire’s love for him has been obvious for a while. Perhaps you’re not allowed to say it out of nowhere as he did.

“I love you too,” Hakyeon tells him, just as suddenly. He can’t help but smile and he ducks his head to hide it, his hair brushing against Hakyeon’s lips. The vampire tilts his head to leave a kiss in Taekwoon’s hair, like he does with Wonshik, whom he also loves. It’s a nice feeling, one that he hopes Hakyeon will repeat enough for him to get used to because, right now, his heart is racing.

“I know,” he assures, keeping his head down.

“I’m going to continue saying it anyway,” the vampire tells him before saying, “Hey, look at me for a moment, Darling.”

Taekwoon heaves a breath, telling himself that it’s fine if the vampire sees him smile. He doesn’t know why he is so anxious about it anyway, maybe because he never really had a reason to smile in Heaven so it feels strange now. He looks up, finding a smile on Hakyeon’s face as well and already feeling better about his own. The vampire scans his face for a few moments, his own eyes dancing between the angel’s before he whispers, “I love you.”

Taekwoon smiles at that, wide, toothy, and awkward, if only to himself. “I love you too.”

 

\--------

 

Taekwoon falls asleep shortly after, legs tangled together with Hakyeon’s and arms thrown loosely over each other’s sides. Their faces are so close that he could count every one of the angel’s eyelashes if he wanted to. He thinks he will probably get around to doing that sometime, if Taekwoon gives him the chance. Right now he is too focused on memorizing the angel’s face, the slope of his nose, the shade of his lips, the exact placement of the mole under his eye. He feels that he has to, because a traitorous little voice in the back of his mind is yelling at him, telling him that this can only end badly and won’t last forever. For now, he does his best to drown it out with the sound of the angel’s heartbeat.

This is Heaven, he decides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked it and if you did,, comments and kudos are much appreciated,,, or you can dm me and let me know your thoughts on twitter uwu
> 
> twitter- @hunscafe  
> 


	15. Night 14- Eclipse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a good 7k words and actually relatively on time ?? who even am i  
> also pls forgive any typos i proofread this at 2 am

Hakyeon is careful when he slips out of bed early enough into the night that he’s not entirely sure the sun his set, but not careful enough, evidently. Taekwoon fidgets in his sleep and blindly reaches a hand out for Hakyeon. The vampire catches it in his own hand and leans down to press the back of the angel’s hand against his cheek. He’s not entirely sure if the white-haired male is awake or not, but he speaks quietly to him anyway, “I’ll be back to bed soon, Darling. I promised Wonshik I’d send him off early.” Taekwoon’s head moves against the pillow, and Hakyeon interprets it as a sleepy nod. So, with a chaste kiss to the angel’s knuckles, he lowers his hand back under the blankets and leaves the room.

 

\-------

 

“You remember everything I told you, right, Wonshik?” Hakyeon asks for what has to be the millionth time in the half an hour he has been following Wonshik around. They are currently standing in the living room, waiting for the younger vampire’s ride to arrive. He’s not sure why Hakyeon doesn’t just get a car at this point, but he is too tired to question it at the moment. Though, if he did, Hakyeon might finally change the topic.

Wonshik sighs and nods as he adjusts his hair in the reflection of his black phone screen. Hakyeon is lingering a few feet to the side of him, hovering like a nervous parent, and it’s taking everything in Wonshik not to blow him off and walk out the door right now. He loves Hakyeon, he does, but the elder can be quite a bit to handle at times. “Repeat it to me then,” Hakyeon orders.

“Hakyeon,” Wonshik huffs, walking over to the elder and slapping hands on his shoulders. “Trust me for one night, seriously, it’s not going to kill you.”

“And if it kills you?” should have been a response he was anticipating, but apparently, thinking that his maker would have any sort of faith in him was a mistake. “I know, I know,” Hakyeon glances to the floor with a frown, “I’m being dramatic, but I don’t know how else to make sure you hear me.”

“Believe it or not I actually listen to the things you say,” Wonshik assures, but Hakyeon gives him a doubtful look. Wonshik figures that is fair. “Okay, most things,” he corrects.

The elder poorly hides a smile and nods, looking the least bit defeated. “Can I at least have a hug before you go?” Hakyeon asks as a car pulls in, headlights flashing through the window. Wonshik finds himself smiling as well, whether it’s because he is actually happy to get a hug from Hakyeon or he is happy to leave, he would never tell.

He walks into Hakyeon’s open arms and allows himself to smile against the elder’s neck. It’s not like Hakyeon will notice anyway. His maker holds him close and after a mere moment or two, hugs him tighter like he is afraid Wonshik is going to break away and run off. “I’m going to be fine,” he reassures, just a whisper against Hakyeon’s skin.

“You don’t know that,” the elder replies sadly.

Wonshik pulls away with a sound that is caught somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. He looks into Hakyeon’s eyes, hands still lingering on the soft fabric of the other vampire’s sweater, and says, “Yes, I do, because you’ll kill me if I get hurt.”

“Yes, I will, so don’t even think about it,” Hakyeon demands with a faux air of coldness as he wags a finger at the younger.

“Like it’s my choice.”

“Go have fun before I change my mind,” his maker says, pushing at his shoulder and clicking his tongue. Wonshik doesn’t have to have the best body language skills to know that Hakyeon is actually worried. Though, he does have to have Managing Hakyeon Skills™ to know that the elder isn’t joking about changing his mind. So, he leaves his maker with a very, very brief kiss to the cheek. It’s only because he is in a good mood, not because he cares about Hakyeon or anything gross like that.

 

Jaehwan doesn’t lift his head when Wonshik walks in and the bell jingles. Wonshik wonders if he even heard it or if he is too focused on his task of slipping vials filled with multicolored liquids onto a rack. “Hi,” the vampire greets, the least bit sheepish, as he walks over to counter.

“Hello, my attack dog,” the witch responds without looking up. Wonshik stiffens up at the nickname. Playful or not, it doesn’t feel good to hear those words out of Jaehwan’s mouth. Taking anything from Council, assistance or a nickname, doesn’t bode well. Anyway, Wonshik just doesn’t like it.

“Don’t call me that,” he huffs, jumping up to sit on the counter adjacent to where Jaehwan is standing. He pulls his legs up onto the counter and crosses them, turning to face the human.

The human looks to him now, pouting as he says, “But I think it’s cute.”

“It’s from Council.”

The human only hums at him as he turns away, leaving the faint scent of the fruity perfume behind. Wonshik knows it is probably weird, but he missed that scent. The scent of Jaehwan, his perfume and the air of vanilla smoke left behind by magic, is comforting to him.

It reminds him of the first time he met the witch, when he and Hakyeon walked into this shop for the first time and Jaehwan was still a hyper teenager. His mother ran the shop then, before she passed away like his father had years before, and Jaehwan was free to roam the surrounding area and follow vampires around. Hakyeon told his mother that such a thing wasn’t safe, but she protested that Jaehwan was a powerful kid, a smart one too, so she wasn’t exactly worried.

She was a good woman, one that Hakyeon became close with, and the perfume was something she made and wore every day. So, when she passed and Jaehwan was too distraught to go through her things himself, it was left to the elder vampire. He found the recipe for the perfume in the process and made it for Jaehwan, still makes it for him when Jaehwan tells him he’s running low. It comforts the human just as it comforts the vampire, though it’s for very different reasons.

“Hey, will you go grab the box of bagged white clover flowers from my workbench? The bags are flannel,” Jaehwan asks, redirecting the vampire’s train of thought. Wonshik nods and hops off the counter, eager to help.

 

Jaehwan is still working hours later, has barely had a moment to sit and just hang out with the vampire. He took a break to eat, but even then he was quieter than usual and focused more on work than on Wonshik. Wonshik knows things have been busy, quite a few customers have come and gone in the time that the vampire has been here. The guards at the door have been relatively silent, leaning against the wall and scrolling through their phones when they don’t think anyone is looking then jumping to attention when Jaehwan snaps. Wonshik figures that’s the sign for when the wards rumble because someone always walks in soon after, but he didn’t want to bother the witch by asking.

Now, he is standing close enough behind Jaehwan to lean against him with his chin on his shoulder, one arm strung over his other shoulder and the other coming up under the witch’s arm so his hands can clasp somewhere in the middle. He knows it’s probably not the comfiest thing for Jaehwan, but the human hasn’t complained yet and Wonshik doesn’t feel like moving. So, here Wonshik will stand, contentedly lurking behind him and looking over his shoulder as the human skims through a spellbook.

“Ah, rue leaves,” Jaehwan hums under his breath. Wonshik catches it though and raises his eyebrows, using his clasped hands to pat Jaehwan’s chest and catch his attention.

“For what?” Wonshik asks, looking down at the page. It’s hard to decipher, with the symbols and the brief use of another language, but, from Wonshik can understand, it is for removing a curse, a hex, or something along those lines.

“A client,” Jaehwan answers, unusually secretive.

“Yeah, but who?” he questions.

Jaehwan snaps his fingers again then, but Wonshik keeps his focus. He waits for his answer, even when the human taps the vampire’s hands, a signal for Wonshik to release him, and steps away out of his arms. The human picks up a larger dried flower from the back counter and shoves it in the book to use as a bookmark before closing it and setting it aside.

“Surprise,” comes Hongbin’s voice over the jingle of the bell hanging above the door. Wonshik lets his attention stray away from Jaehwan for now, figuring he will just get his answer after the demons leave. It’s all just gossip anyway, only petty supernaturals set curses and only cocky supernaturals suspect things are going wrong in their life, or afterlife, because someone set a curse upon them. Jaehwan doesn’t promise any confidentiality to his customers, but he does close every deal with a handshake, so he knows a lot, too much for his own good most likely.

Jaehwan places a hand on the juncture between Wonshik’s neck and his shoulder, a presence that settles the unease in his stomach, and shivers when it brushes lightly against the vampire’s skin as he steps away.

“Oh, it reeks of guilt in here. Wonshik knock something over again?” Sanghyuk asks, trailing behind Hongbin with a smug smile on his face. It would probably read as sweet and innocent to anyone else, but Wonshik knows him well enough to know that that’s his ‘I’ve come to start trouble for everyone but myself’ face. Wonshik sees that expression just as often as he sees Sanghyuk.

“No,” the vampire rolls his eyes before walking around the counter and fist-bumping each of the demons. They’re dressed as they almost always are, just casual enough to be comfortable, but with ridiculously expensive fabrics and useless details. It’s obnoxious, but it’s nothing that strays from the usual, and Wonshik welcomes the normalcy.

“Did you come to visit me?” Jaehwan beams, leaning forward onto his elbows against the glass countertop.

“Of course not,” Hongbin smiles back, dimples and all, “We came to get something to protect our own place from unwanted guests.”

Jaehwan pouts at that while Wonshik grows defensive. The vampire thinks they must know about the visit Council paid the human, but he can’t gather how. Perhaps Hakyeon told them in passing, he ponders, or perhaps the demons just like being vague and creepy for no reason. Either way, he doesn’t like it.

“Potion or powder?” Jaehwan asks after giving up his pout. Sanghyuk leans forward onto the counter as well, too close to the human for Wonshik’s comfort. He takes a deep breath then, an obvious attempt to get a better feel for Jaehwan’s emotions, to read them more clearly.

“Powder,” Hongbin speaks up, apparently blind to Sanghyuk’s mischief, or aligned with it.

“Okay,” Jaehwan says, clearing his throat as he straightens up and walks away to retrieve what the demon asked for.

“Get one of those recently, Jae? An unwanted guest,” the younger demon prompts. So they must know, Wonshik concludes, and he couldn’t be less amused by it. He moves forward and presses a hand flat against the demon’s face, then pushes against it enough to force his head back, but not nearly enough to hurt. Sanghyuk just licks his palm as he steps back, smiling again when the vampire recoils.

“Quit your emotion sniffing bullshit. It’s none of your business,” he warns without any real venom to his tone.

“Oh, you know?” Sanghyuk asks like he is genuinely confused.

“Yes, I know, so shut up. Council is literally the last thing I want to think about right now,” he admits, looking back to Jaehwan instead of dealing with the demon’s bullshit.

Hongbin steps in, looking tired, and smacks the younger demon upside the head. “Be quiet, dumbass.”

Weirdly enough, this makes him more anxious. Hongbin stopping the bullshit is a rare occurrence and Wonshik isn’t quite sure if he should welcome it or not. It’s all games between the demons and Wonshik, never any real conflict or goal to hurt, so Hongbin is either too tired to play or it’s actually something serious this time. Considering the situation, both are equally plausible. Though, he is more inclined to think that Hongbin is just tired.

“Hold up, I’m confused,” Sanghyuk speaks up.

“Stay that way,” Jaehwan smiles before ducking under the counter. He rises again a few beats later, bag in hand and grin still plastered to his face. “That will be 30,000 won, please and thank you,” he says, walking over to the register.

“What the hell? It used to be like 10,” Hongbin scoffs, walking between the younger demon and the vampire to meet Jaehwan at the register. Wonshik follows, but only after very maturely sticking his tongue out at Sanghyuk.

“Well, it’s in popular demand and your boyfriend is annoying me,” Jaehwan sing-songs. Hongbin narrows his eyes at the human with an obviously fake smile, but the witch isn’t the least bit intimidated. He just matches the demon’s expression, much to Wonshik’s amusement.

“Capitalism at its finest,” Hongbin sighs as he pulls his wallet out of his back pocket. The vampire sputters out a laugh at that, which seems to please Jaehwan if the way his smile now reaches his eyes is anything to go by.

“Okay, fine, 25, since you made Wonshik laugh and he’s been sulking all night,” the witch adds. Hongbin doesn’t comment on that, just grimaces as he hands over the money. Typical, Wonshik thinks with a snort.

“Have not,” the vampire retorts.

“Have too,” Jaehwan chimes after finishing the transaction with Hongbin. He leans across the counter again, though this time it’s to pinch the vampire’s cheek. From anyone else, it would feel patronizing, but when Jaehwan does it, Wonshik just finds it cute.

He tugs at the human’s wrist, careful to avoid letting their hands meet. He holds it for longer than necessary, keeping it in his grasp even after Jaehwan has let go of his cheek. Jaehwan looks from his eyes to their hands, then pulls the vampire’s hand up to his face to pepper the back of it with kisses. Wonshik pulls away with a scowl, feigning disgust just to be annoying.

From somewhere beside him, Sanghyuk scoffs. Wonshik looks over, expecting to find that snarky smile again and, instead, finding a genuine look of disgust. He doesn’t get it, what Sanghyuk is playing at tonight or if he’s playing at all. He thinks he has gotten better at reading people after dealing with Taekwoon’s weirdness, but he supposes demons are a different deal, one that Wonshik doesn’t feel like dealing with on top of everything else.

“Sanghyuk, not to be a dick, but what’s up with you tonight?” he snaps.

“Here we go,” Hongbin sighs again, turning so he can lean back against the beam beside the register.  

“Nothing, I just think now isn’t the time to be keeping secrets,” Sanghyuk shrugs.

“What-what secrets?” Wonshik asks, already starting to panic. There’s no way he could know about Taekwoon, Wonshik tells himself. Even if he did, he wouldn’t bring it up here, like this, would he? Sanghyuk may be childish at times, but he is at least smart enough to know when to stop and what things he shouldn’t joke about. He is about to ask another question, say something else that would probably end up seeming suspicious, but he doesn’t get the chance.

“Ask Jaehwan,” is suggested by Sanghyuk with a curiously neutral tone.

“Sanghyuk,” Wonshik starts, obviously on edge, “I know we mess around and stuff, but can we just not do this right-”

“Ilhoon came again and I agreed to help him,” Jaehwan practically shouts, all in one breath. Wonshik isn’t sure he actually just heard that or if his worries have manifested and made him lose his mind. He looks to Jaehwan, who looks unbelievably guilty, with his eyebrows turned up in the middle and his shoulders hunched in to make himself look even smaller. The vampire still doesn’t want to believe it though, that something like that happened and Jaehwan not only agreed to help, but didn’t tell Wonshik about it. “I hate lying to you, Shik, I really do, but I didn’t want you to have to worry about me more than you already do. He came right as I was opening up, the sun had barely set and no one else was here. I figured if I helped Council I’d be helping you too,” he rambles, but, frankly, the vampire doesn’t want to hear any of it.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed, Jae,” Wonshik tells him. He steps back, feeling betrayed and utterly shocked. Maybe it’s hypocritical to be upset about Jaehwan keeping secrets when Taekwoon exists, lives in his home and probably considers him a friend, but this is entirely different. This is a secret that will kill someone rather than save them. Jaehwan isn’t stupid, Wonshik knows that, so how the human thought this would be even a little bit okay is beyond him.

“No, no,” Jaehwan says as he hops over the counter and slings his arms over Wonshik’s shoulders. Wonshik doesn’t move away, but he doesn’t allow himself to sink into the touch like he usually does either. “I’m being careful, Shik. I’m just doing the bare minimum, okay? It’s going to be fine. I just-”

“You just what?” Wonshik scoffs and turns his head, finding it impossible to look at the human so closely right about now. “If Council wasn’t satisfied with the information and drained you on a whim, would it still be fine? You just disappear because you wanted to protect a vampire and it’d still be fine? I know you’ve got some power behind you as a witch, but you’re still human, Jaehwan. You’re fragile and I- fuck,” he curses when he feels his throat begin to burn and tears beginning to well in his eyes. He won’t let himself cry here and certainly not in front of Jaehwan. He’s supposed to be protecting Jaehwan, but he feels weaker than he ever has right now and he just wants to be away from all of this. He clears his throat and blinks away whatever tears threaten to fall before saying, “I don’t need you to protect me. I am not going to be the reason you end up dead.”

“Shik, Baby, listen,” Jaehwan starts, but stops when Wonshik pulls away, forcing himself out of the human’s grip.

“I’m leaving,” he announces, already starting towards the door, “I’ll talk to you later or something.” He swings the door open without much thought and steps through the threshold. The second he is out of the door and hears it fall back into place, he regrets it, but he thinks it is too late to go back now. He can’t face Jaehwan right now. He is feeling too many things, things he doesn’t like and things he doesn’t understand, and he will _not_ cry in front of the man he’s supposed to be protecting. A little, Hakyeon sounding voice, at the back of his mind tells him that he won’t be able to protect him if he runs off, but he squashes that along with his regret.

Behind him he hears movement and Hongbin say, “Stop, I’ll drive him. Sanghyuk, you’re staying here and no one is telling Hakyeon until I get back. He’s going to lose his shit.”

At the same time that Jaehwan thanks him, Sanghyuk apologizes, making it a million times harder not to walk back in there. He wants to just run back in there and cling to Jaehwan until this is all over, perhaps even bring him home and hide him away like Taekwoon until Hakyeon deems it to be safe. He can’t though, because that’s just not how things are.

“Hey, Wonshik, I’m giving you a ride. Get in,” Hongbin instructs as he steps out of the door, bouncing down the stairs and tossing his keys in the air like a chipper dad in a movie. Wonshik sighs and drags his feet to the passenger door of the demon’s BMW.

 

\-----------

 

Taekwoon is watching Hakyeon pace his room from his spot on the vampire’s bed. They’re both dressed prettily, mostly because Hakyeon needed the distraction. Taekwoon has already played the piano as long as the vampire would allow him because that, too, made him anxious. Hakyeon is worried about Wonshik being out of the house even though he is the one who permitted it. They exchanged contact a few times over the phone, though it was brief and didn’t do much to calm the vampire’s nerves. So, Hakyeon is pacing.

Hakyeon bites his lip, again, and draws more blood. Taekwoon learned that vampires heal very quickly, after watching Hakyeon do this same thing for the past hour or so. Though, whether the other male’s body has just taken the hint and has given up on healing him right away or he no longer has the energy to do so, Taekwoon doesn’t know. He can see the change though, can see that the vampire’s lip is only getting worse instead of healing itself and getting better, and he wants to do something about it.

The angel was taught how to heal, though he was never sure why they told him such a thing if he was never supposed to encounter any creatures apart from angels. Now that he knows what he knows, both about the human realm and the coldness of angels, he thinks it was just another way to subtly gloat about the power they hold.

He also knows there is a difference between what the actions he must take now mean to him opposed to what they mean to humans, probably vampires alike. Hyunsik told him when Taekwoon was still young and too curious for his own good. It probably wasn’t right of Taekwoon to ask nor of Hyunsik to tell him, but they trusted each other and, with that, they never got caught, so the angel figures it all worked out. Well, it did until it didn’t, anyway.

He is sure Hakyeon will understand though, because Hakyeon is Hakyeon and he has never really been wrong when it comes to Taekwoon.

“You’re hurting yourself,” he finally speaks up, matching Hakyeon’s anxiety, but for a very different reason. Hakyeon halts his pacing and doesn’t spare the angel a glance as he wipes at his lip with the back of his hand.

“It’ll heal itself while I sleep,” the vampire resolves before going back to his pacing.

He makes it to the opposite wall, then halfway back before Taekwoon musters the courage to speak again. “I can heal it now,” he offers. This seems to pique the vampire’s interest. Hakyeon freezes, this time looking at the angel as he scoots down to the edge of the bed and places his feet on the ground. “Come here,” Taekwoon beckons, his own eyes directed down towards the ground until Hakyeon’s socked feet come into view just an inch or two in front of the angel’s.

“How do you do it?” Hakyeon asks, prompting the angel’s attention.

Having the vampire so close proves to be a challenge, but he has already set his mind to doing this. The angel has faltered under pressure so many times before, wasn’t strong enough to help Hakyeon, but he doesn’t want to be like that anymore. He wants to do better for both himself and the vampire. Hakyeon has done so much for him, more than what Taekwoon is about to do, so he can do this much, he tells himself. If he could reach out and touch Hakyeon as he did, he can do this.

“Close your eyes,” he instructs.

“Darling,” Hakyeon sighs, brushing the angel’s hair out of his face, “You don’t have to do it if you’re not comfortable.”

Taekwoon just shakes his head, which only makes his bangs fall back into his eyes and earns the smallest of giggles from the vampire. The black haired male repeats his action of brushing Taekwoon’s hair away and tucks it behind his ears this time. “Please,” the angel murmurs, tilting his chin up to better look at the vampire.

Hakyeon nods and closes his eyes, completely trusting of the angel.

Taekwoon can hear his own pulse in his ears now and, after a few beats, he stands. They’re so close that their noses nearly touch, but the angel leans back before there is any chance of that. His eyes roam down to Hakyeon’s lips, swollen and stained red, and he takes a deep breath. He can fix that with a simple kiss, he just has to work up the nerve to do it.

A door opens then slams, causing Hakyeon’s eyes to snap towards his own bedroom door. Taekwoon sits back down onto the bed, sensing that his opportunity was lost and unsure of how to feel about it. “He wasn’t supposed to be home for another hour or so,” Hakyeon says, voice a mere whisper.

The worry has returned to the vampire’s eyes already and he is staring at the door so intently the angel thinks he might just burn a hole through it. Taekwoon can see that he wants to go check on the younger vampire. It becomes even more obvious when Wonshik slams his own bedroom door and Hakyeon flinches, body lurching forward on instinct. So, Taekwoon thinks that if he couldn’t heal the vampire, he can at least support him with this.

“You can go,” the angel assures, “Go check on him, I mean.”

“Thank you, Darling,” Hakyeon says, the corners of his lips quirking up when he looks to the angel. “I know he’s probably not happy with me for setting an early curfew, but I didn’t set it this early and I want to make sure everything is alright. I’ll be back.”

“I know.”

 

\---------

 

Hakyeon walks to his door at a leisurely pace, feigning nonchalance, until it shuts behind him and he flashes to the younger vampire’s door. He knocks it with probably too much force, but Wonshik doesn’t come to the door and he is only met with silence. Something must have happened, he thinks, there’s no way Wonshik would willingly leave Jaehwan’s even a minute before he has to. Something must be wrong.

“Wonshikkie, can you open your door for a moment?” he asks, knocking again with more urgency.

He stands there, waiting, the dull thrum of slowly growing anxiety like water coming to a boil. Each moment that passes only allows it to grow harsher, more scalding until it threatens to bubble over.

“What?” comes Wonshik’s gruff voice from behind the now-open door. The younger vampire only opened it a crack, not enough to see into his room at all and giving no chance of Hakyeon setting his eyes on his child. “What?” he repeats with more attitude when Hakyeon takes more than a second to answer.

“I know you must be upset with me, but-” Hakyeon pauses, words cut off by the younger vampire’s scoff. The elder swallows his comment about manners and instead trudges on with his original statement. “But, you didn’t have to come home so early. Why are you back already? Is everything okay?”

“Ask Jaehwan,” Wonshik replies, more sorrowful this time, before slamming the door in Hakyeon’s face. Hakyeon can only blink at the door. He has never heard the witch’s name spoken with so much disdain coming from Wonshik’s mouth. Even in the beginning, when Jaehwan was somewhere around 15 and insisted on following the vampire’s as often as he could, Wonshik found him cute rather than annoying. Of course, it was different then. Only when Jaehwan passed 22 did the younger vampire foolishly fall for him. Still, for all of those years Wonshik has spoken Jaehwan’s name like it’s something special.

It is jarring, to say the least.

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon calls. He is peeking out of the doorway to the elder vampire’s bedroom, holding up his phone between two fingers as it vibrates in his grasp. Hakyeon looks to the screen and finds a name there. Jaehwan.

 

“That’s literally the opposite of what I told you to do,” Hakyeon says into the phone, voice barely quieter than a yell, after Jaehwan explains everything to him. He isn’t going to lie and say the human was being completely irrational, but it is certainly far from ideal, so far from just _okay._ He told Jaehwan to play it safe, to act innocent and harmless, but then the witch offers up his services and makes himself vulnerable. He can understand why Wonshik was upset, but he still thinks his child could have handled things better, should have.

“Hakyeon, I know, but I was trying to be helpful. Ilhoon said he suspected the people that did it set some kind of curse on Council so their efforts would be fruitless, so I offered a potion. Then he asked for other things, names, information, and I told him I don’t keep those things. I told him I’d keep an eye out and that’s it,” Jaehwan explains, but it does nothing to make Hakyeon feel better. In fact, it does the opposite.

“Jaehwan,” he sighs, feeling defeated already. “You fu-” he pauses, glancing at the angel who reclaimed his space on the bed when Hakyeon started pacing again. Taekwoon is watching him carefully and, though he looks relatively calm, his heartbeat is telling the vampire otherwise. “-messed up. You messed up,” he corrects, telling himself that now is not the time to start a habit of cursing in front of the mostly-innocent creature.

“Yeah, I know that now,” the human sighs. “I don’t think Council will kill me though. That Ilhoon guy likes me too much.”

“I told you not to-”

“I didn’t shake his hand. I have basic people skills, you know? I can tell whether people like me or not,” Jaehwan oh-so-helpfully informs. “It’s going to be fine, anyway.”

“Jaehwan, as much as I’m sorry for my child’s dramatics earlier- I fear I have rubbed off on him a bit in the wrong way- I’m not going to baby you to make up for it. You’re in danger, and I’m sorry that it is because of me. I really am grateful to you for trying to help, but it was stupid. If you do something they don’t like or if you act too cocky, you could seriously get hurt. You really don’t keep that information, do you? Because if you lie to them,” Hakyeon trails off. He figures Jaehwan gets the point. Council could make him disappear without a trace if they wanted, could do much, much worse.

“I don’t. It’s only in my head, but I’m taking precautions. I made something to stop a glamour and I’ve been using it since the first night he came. I told you I’m being careful, Hakyeon,” the witch replies. Hakyeon lets out a light scoff at that. _Careful_. “Shut up,” Jaehwan adds with a playful tone, as if now is the time to be playful, “I got it all from Shik, Hakyeon. I don’t need it from you too.”

“I won’t say you didn’t partially deserve it, but he could have been more polite and I’m sorry,” Hakyeon apologizes on his child’s behalf as he lies back on the bed next to the angel. The angel turns to face him, legs crossed and eyelashes brushing over his cheeks each time he blinks down at the vampire. He doesn’t speak though, thankfully, just observes. Hakyeon offers him a tired smile, which the angel beautifully, miraculously, returns.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for hurting your child,” Jaehwan tells him, “Is he okay? I mean, I know he’s hurt, but- I don’t know what I’m asking. I just miss him.”

“He’s going to be okay. I’m sure he’s fighting with himself now, overthinking his feelings and all those Wonshik things. He will be okay though, because I’m here, and because you’re here,” he says then pauses. There is a sentence lying heavy on his tongue, but he is hesitant to say it. The love the human and the vampire share has never been addressed, though it is almost too obvious to ignore. Hakyeon knows it’s something they should handle between themselves, so Hakyeon kept putting off his want to help, making excuses so as not to interfere. Still, he doesn’t want to wait until it’s too late and be left wondering how things would have gone had he said something. “Jae?” he prompts.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for loving him, my Wonshikkie.”

Jaehwan hesitates, a barely-there gasp leaving his lips. Hakyeon wonders what Jaehwan is thinking right now, probably questioning how the vampire knows since he thinks he is so slick. Jaehwan is harder to read than most, Hakyeon will admit that, but his love for Wonshik is nearly as obvious as Wonshik’s love for him. In a way, the elder vampire is thankful that fact, if only so he doesn’t have to worry about Wonshik’s love being completely hopeless.

“You’re welcome,” Jaehwan finally answers. Hakyeon smiles to himself, which cracks his slowly healing lip again and brings blood to the surface. He holds back a sigh and instead sucks at his lip, but he knows it won’t heal right away anymore. He will have to wait until the next night for it to return to its usual, smooth state. “I, uh, I gotta go. Text me if anything happens or just, you know, whenever you talk to Shik.”

“I will,” Hakyeon nods, though Jaehwan can’t see him. “I love you as well, by the way, not in the same way, but I love you like you’re my own. So just, be careful, Jae.”

“I love you too and I will. Talk to you later, Hakyeon,” Jaehwan responds before ending the call. Hakyeon holds the phone up to his ear even after the call has ended, mind trying to run in a million different directions. He knows Jaehwan is smart, besides this misstep, and the odds are mostly in his favor, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. He’d rather have Jaehwan be scared than reckless, as opposed to how Wonshik is both.

“Are you okay?” Taekwoon chimes in, moving to lie down next to the vampire. He lies on his stomach beside Hakyeon, wings splayed out with one resting over the vampire’s stomach, and props himself up on his elbows.

Hakyeon nods, pulling his phone away from his ear and tossing it aside, somewhere on his bed. He is tired and feeling a bit helpless, yet again. He wants to lose himself in the angel’s scent, his rhythmic pulse, and how unfairly gorgeous he looks from such an unflattering angle. The vampire knows it wouldn’t be right where morals are concerned, but he isn’t sure where worrying will get him now. He has done what he can, made his trip to the feeder house, fed, offered the help he could, gave Jaehwan what advice he could, and now he can only leave Council to handle everything else and give his child the space he needs to work out his feelings. He still doesn’t think Council is very deserving of his trust, but trying to interfere or saying anything that would lead them to believe he doubts their wisdom will get him into more trouble than whatever caused those deaths.

Thinking about it now, he wonders if it was simply a personal vendetta that was settled too harshly rather than any kind of hunters. He had been so worried, mind so set on everything always going as wrong as it possibly could, that he hadn’t even considered their safety. There haven’t been any more deaths to Hakyeon’s knowledge. That could be why Council is going to Jaehwan as well, because he sees all the supernaturals in the town, interacts with them regularly, and knows some of the inner workings. If it is like that, maybe he can let himself relax a bit. Maybe they will be safe, he thinks, maybe he can let himself simply bask in the angel’s presence for a night or two. Maybe.

“Hakyeon,” the angel prompts again, pulling the vampire out of his head. Hakyeon hums, quietly urging him to continue, as he sets his eyes on Taekwoon. “I can heal that now- I- if you want me to,” he offers, eyes flickering down to the vampire’s lips.

“Are you sure?” Hakyeon asks, doing his best to hold back a smile. He doesn’t want to pressure the angel, especially now that he has a clue as to what being healed by an angel entails, but he can’t help feeling giddy. He feels like he is young again, experiencing everything for the first time despite the way he has loved so many times, has been kissed even more. It has never been like this, not in the way that he knows he’d give anything to just see the sparkle in the angel’s eyes when he takes interest in something or the heavy way he blinks when he’s trying not to smile. It’s a new kind of love, one that is indescribable like the love between him and Wonshik. But, Hakyeon silently asks himself, who needs words when he can say it all with the delicate brush of his fingertips over Taekwoon’s high cheekbones or with the sincerity that drips from his eyes like honey each time their gazes meet?

Taekwoon nods and does that heavy blink of his before shifting on the bed. “Close your eyes,” he instructs again and Hakyeon obeys without second thought, or first thought, really. The angel moves over him so that they’re chest to chest and Taekwoon’s elbows are planted on either side of the vampires head, slightly digging into his shoulder as he clumsily smooths Hakyeon’s hair away from his face.

He can feel the angel’s breath puffing over his lips, prompting his own to part on instinct as he lies there, patiently waiting for Taekwoon to close that gap. One of the angel’s hands travels down to rest at the nape of Hakyeon’s neck and he pulls very gently, gently enough that Hakyeon could resist if he wanted to. He doesn’t.

He lifts his head the slightest bit, feeling their noses touch and Taekwoon’s white bangs brush against the vampire’s forehead, and a giggle bubbles up from his throat. He doesn’t know what it is, maybe because it feels so strange to be pliant in someone else’s hands like this or maybe because the giddiness hasn’t faded yet, but it doesn’t seem like Taekwoon minds. There’s a small sound, just a high-pitched breath that puffs hard against Hakyeon’s mouth, before the angel quiets again. Hakyeon might classify that as a giggle as well.

His breath smells of minty toothpaste and, when he leans in and finally plants his lips on the vampire’s, Hakyeon finds that he tastes of it too. It’s sweeter than the scent, somehow, but Hakyeon doesn’t feel like taking the time to dissect that sensation when the angel’s lips are so plush and warm against his own, a complete contrast to his cold, bony hands. Both beautiful, both _Taekwoon._

Hakyeon never really took the time to daydream about kissing Taekwoon on the lips because he knew, thought he knew, it was something that would simply never happen. He thinks he should be grateful for the time he didn’t waste though. Nothing his mind could have conjured up could ever be this perfect. The feeling of Taekwoon, resting heavily against his chest with his heart beating hard enough for the both of them, isn’t something that could be imagined. Hakyeon wishes he could think of anything word to describe it other than _sweet_ , if only to more accurately commit it to memory, as if he’ll ever be able to forget, but he discovers that his vocabulary isn’t vast enough to accurately outline the feeling of such an experience.

Taekwoon pulls away after seconds that felt like minutes, though still all too short. He lets Hakyeon’s head fall back against the bed, but he doesn’t move beyond that. Taekwoon is staring down at him, eyes full of light like he’s staring at something that is much _more_ than Hakyeon.

It’s then that the vampire figures it out; The stars in Taekwoon’s eyes, the way his wings as well as his hair reflect light and seem to glow, the way he seems to embody night so well without leaving behind the somber, lonely feeling that living in darkness always seems to. Taekwoon is the moon. Metaphorically, of course. He is similar to the moon in a way that only he could be; A reflection of sunlight in a world cloaked in darkness.

He supposes he’d be deeming himself as the sun then and, while he thinks that is too much of a compliment to give himself, it is quite the metaphor.

“The sun is going to rise soon,” Taekwoon comments, slightly out of place and vague as ever. Hakyeon breathes out a laugh and slings his arms around the angel’s waist, closing his hands behind Taekwoon’s back with enough give so that he could move away if he wanted.

“It is,” Hakyeon nods, “Would you like to stay with me again?” Taekwoon nods back at him. “My sweet little Leo,” Hakyeon breathes out, too distracted by the angel’s features and their distance, or lack thereof, to think about what words slip past his lips. Taekwoon wrinkles his nose at the mention of the name, though a pretty pink color arises on his cheeks like the blooming of cherry blossoms. Hakyeon smiles wider, now that he can without bleeding, and whispers, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” the angel murmurs before growing embarrassed and dropping down to hide his face in the vampire’s chest. More laughter rings through the room, though nothing is really funny, and he holds the angel a little closer. _God,_ how he hopes the angel will ask for forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope y'all suffered and uwued just as much as i did,, again comments and kudos are very appreciated !! it's really nice to see that people are actually keeping up with this and what you have to say about it uwu
> 
> twitter- @hunscafe


	16. Night 15- Ready to Get Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning !!! there are some mentions of violence in this chapter and a small bit of gore, so if you aren't comfortable reading that you can skip this chapter (and dm me on twt if you want and I'll give you a pg summary-- @hunscafe)
> 
> also please excuse typos bc i'm dumb

Hakyeon wakes up with a pillow to the face, courtesy of his lovely child, Wonshik, and doesn’t even get a chance to scold him before the younger vampire is saying, “Scoot over.”

“Taekwoon is sleeping,” Hakyeon whisper-yells back at him with furrowed brows, though he knows he looks a lot less intimidating with his puffy eyes and bloated cheeks. Wonshik has told him this before when he previously came to annoy the elder at the brink of dusk for one reason or another. His child rolls his eyes.

“Then be careful,” Wonshik states like it’s the obvious solution. Hakyeon stares at him for a moment, genuinely unsure if his child is just an idiot or is choosing to blatantly ignore the real meaning behind Hakyeon’s words. He doesn’t have the time to come to a conclusion though, because then Wonshik makes a gesture to hurry the elder along like he isn’t the one who just barged into the room and threw a pillow directly at Hakyeon’s head.

Hakyeon carefully maneuvers himself and the angel, who is practically lying on top of him at this point, to the opposite side of the bed as his child asked of him, more or less. Wonshik slips into bed beside him and presses up against the elder, but doesn’t look at him. Hakyeon will admit he doesn’t quite get it, but he’d rather not press the issue right now. Nothing much came out of the previous night, or rather, just nothing, when he tried to get answers out of the younger male. Wonshik refused to answer him, let alone face him, and then a door was slammed in his face. Not exactly a successful trip.

So, he lets Wonshik take his time in speaking as they lie shoulder to shoulder, if the younger is going to speak at all anyway. There are ugly, purple bags under Wonshik’s eyes and the traces of dried blood on Wonshik’s upper lip. He must have resisted the Call of the Sun too long, Hakyeon observes with a frown.

Finally, after a few minutes at least, Wonshik speaks. “I’m not mad at you,” he says quietly, ever insecure when speaking honestly about his own feelings, even when it’s something as simple as this. It’s rare that Wonshik doesn’t cover the insecurity, or just his feelings in general, with something akin to anger. Hakyeon is just thankful that Wonshik is willing to be honest now, even if it’s only this much. “I don’t feel like talking about it right now and you probably already know, so don’t ask. I just wanted to tell you I’m not mad at you,” his child adds, staring very hard at the ceiling.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Hakyeon tells him with a voice like honey. “Did you only come here to tell me that?” he asks, ignoring his earlier mental proclamation that he wouldn’t push. He’s just curious as to whether Wonshik found it so important that he came in here before Hakyeon himself is even awake to tell the elder he isn’t angry with him, or, if Wonshik just didn’t want to be alone and left to his own feelings. Hakyeon suspects the latter. Perhaps it’s a mix of both.

“Feelings are hard,” Wonshik sighs, though Hakyeon isn’t sure whether that’s an answer or a separate statement.

“Oh, I know, Love, I know,” Hakyeon sighs as well now as he glances down to the angel, who has somehow managed to stay sleeping throughout all of this. He is drooling onto Hakyeon’s chest, which would probably be gross if it were anyone else besides Wonshik, maybe, but it’s quite endearing when it comes to Taekwoon.

Hakyeon tips his head down to breathe in the scent of Taekwoon’s hair and finds that he smells like a summer night as much as he resembles one: The faint scent of flowers carrying in the wind with a hint of something brighter, like a sweet fruit that Hakyeon wants to bite into, as well as warmth, maybe something like amber. It’s a bit hard to explain in detail, but if one were to ask, Hakyeon could sum it up in one word. Taekwoon.

“Are you guys like dating now?” Wonshik asks, comfortably rolling onto his side to face the elder now that his own feelings aren’t the topic of discussion. Hakyeon shakes his head as his hand runs gently along the angel’s lower back, just a light touch for his own comfort. “Then what are you?”

Hakyeon looks over to find Wonshik scanning the pair with a curious, if not judgemental, gaze. They must be quite the sight to see, Hakyeon thinks, a vampire and an angel, the sun and the moon.

“I don’t know,” Hakyeon answers honestly. He’s pretty sure he can physically feel Wonshik’s unease spike at that answer, so he adds, “But it’s okay not to know. You feel how you feel and that’s it. No labels, no boxes, none of that is needed.”

Wonshik sighs and rolls onto his back again. “God, you’re so annoying,” his child huffs. Hakyeon snorts out a quiet laugh and uses his hand that isn’t currently cradling the angel to reach over to pinch Wonshik’s cheek. Hakyeon’s little vampire tries, and fails, to nip Hakyeon’s hand with his teeth when the elder pulls away, an action that is only amusing to the elder. Hakyeon would scold him if it weren’t so cute

“Yeah, and you look like a corpse, so shut up and try to get some sleep. Wake me if you need anything, but don’t touch Taekwoon, alright?”

“Ew, why would I want to?” Wonshik retorts, scrunching his nose in what Hakyeon can only assume is faux disgust. Hakyeon just shakes his head against his pillow, never minding the younger’ teasing as long as it means he isn’t in a complete state of panic on the inside.

“Go to sleep, Wonshik,” Hakyeon practically growls, feigning annoyance just because he knows it will make his devil of a child happy.

 

Hakyeon isn’t sure how much time passes, but it can’t be more than 45 minutes, as he lies there with his two loves. It’s hard to fall asleep now that he is up and his mind has had time to run through his list of both rational and irrational fears. The list ranges from Wonshik never coming to term with his own feelings and slowly destroying himself, to Wonshik suddenly accepting his emotions and deciding he no longer needs his maker. He’s not sure if either of those are truly irrational though.

He hears Wonshik roll over, but doesn’t feel any need to react to it. “Stupid” Wonshik breathes, like he’s afraid to wake Hakyeon with his statement. The elder, again, doesn’t react, and instead lies unmoving in anticipation of whatever else the younger has to say.

Wonshik doesn’t speak again though, just shimmies closer until his forehead is pressed against the elder’s shoulder and he can easily dig under the covers to capture Hakyeon’s hand in his. He entwines their fingers and brings the back of Hakyeon’s hand to press to his chest, right against his unbeating heart.

He’s reminded that, behind the aggression and teasing that Wonshik uses to deflect, he’s just a kid. Wonshik would never admit it, not willingly at least, but he needs Hakyeon for guidance. He could get a job, a house, manage a normal life on his own, he had already done such things when he was human, but the vampire stuff, as well as his emotions, are left to Hakyeon. Hakyeon doesn’t mind, is more than happy to do those things, but he just wishes Wonshik could manage himself better for his own sake. He’s like a little lost puppy, or, well, a large, lost puppy.

Hakyeon just wants to see him thrive. Perhaps they’d get to hold hands more often if Wonshik were more emotionally sound, Hakyeon sure hopes so.

 

\------

 

There is warmth surrounding Taekwoon when he is finally pulled from sleep, along with the feeling of Hakyeon’s hand hot against the skin of his side where his shirt had ridden up in his sleep. He smiles to himself and relishes in the freeing feeling of being able to be so close to the vampire without fear. Freedom, even in small doses, is something he has never experienced, and he is thankful that Hakyeon was able to gift him such a thing.

After a while, he opens his eyes, flinching when he sees Wonshik’s face a mere few inches from his own, but doesn’t move and doesn’t make any effort to wake Hakyeon. He wonders how long Wonshik has been there and why he came in the first place, but he doubts he will get those answers. Wonshik doesn’t like to answer difficult questions when he doesn’t have any obligation to do so, the angel has found. Hakyeon said that the younger vampire is ‘emotionally constipated’ and Taekwoon thinks he is probably right. It honestly makes the angel feel bad, or rather sad, for him.

“Good evening, Darling,” Hakyeon greets, just a whisper that still manages to startle the angel. He flinches for a second time, large wings flinching with him and poking at the younger vampire’s ribs. “Careful,” the black haired male warns, “You’ll wake the baby.”

It’s difficult to see Hakyeon in the low light, but Taekwoon can still somehow make out the sadness showing through the smile on his face as the vampire looks down at his child. Taekwoon frowns and tucks his wings in as he too looks to Wonshik.

He looks a lot more kind in his sleep, not that he’s unkind when he’s awake, but there is something else there. He’s always defensive, even if it’s only a little bit, and there is almost always a sort of tension in his expression. Taekwoon thinks it’s strange for someone who can be described as impulsive, but that’s just how Wonshik is. He wants the vampire to be happy and to able to express himself freely, like the way Hakyeon makes Taekwoon feel, but he doesn’t know how to help with that. From the way Hakyeon talks about it, Jaehwan may be the only one able to free Wonshik from whatever mental shackles bind him. If so, Taekwoon hopes he does it soon.

“I think tonight is going to be rough for him,” Hakyeon speaks again, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Wonshik. It’s quiet, but it’s not at all brittle-sounding, rather melodious and very _Hakyeon._ Though, Taekwoon thinks he would like it more had the words coming out of the vampire’s mouth been more positive in nature.

“Because of Jaehwan?” Taekwoon asks, making sure to keep his own voice low as well, even if it may not be as appealing as Hakyeon’s.

“I mean, him and Jae, they’ve been dancing around it for a while, I think. Wonshik is so far into his state of denial that he probably doesn’t even know his own feelings and Jaehwan- Truthfully, I don’t know what’s going on in his head,” Hakyeon sighs and holds the angel a little tighter. “I just- I don’t know how it would, but if this all helps them somehow then I’d be grateful.”

Taekwoon nods against Hakyeon’s chest then says, “I hope they get a chance to love each other.”

“As do I, Darling,” the vampire agrees. Hakyeon’s finger pokes at his nose, so Taekwoon crinkles it and looks up to him. “You know,” he starts, tone suddenly brighter as they look into each other’s eyes, “That was quite the empathetic thing to say. I’m proud of you.’’

“Proud of me?” Taekwoon asks even more quietly than he was speaking before. Having pride of one’s self is something he’s very well acquainted with, he is an angel after all, but having pride in another creature is foreign. It’s something he has never experienced before, someone being proud of him, and, even if it feels strange to hear such a thing, it feels nice too. To do something so well that another creature takes pride in it, in you, must be a good thing.

“Yes, very. I’m happy for you, how far you’ve come and how well you’re doing. I’m glad that I could be a part of that growth too.”

“Oh,” is all Taekwoon can manage when Hakyeon is looking at him like _that_ and saying those things. Hakyeon doesn’t seem upset by that fact though, he just smiles down at the angel like he is the reason for all the beautiful things in the world.

“Now that I’ve flattered you to death, I- that’s an expression, by the way,” Hakyeon pauses to clarify, “I have to get up and get a head start before Wonshik wakes up. Do you mind?”

Taekwoon does the empathetic thing and shakes his head, though he really does mind. He wants to just lie here and enjoy this, the love he is so fortunate to have, because, apparently, it’s all much more complicated than the angel first thought. And that is saying something.

He rolls off of Hakyeon to allow him space to move and the vampire goes to sit up, but halts at an awkward position once he’s only a couple inches off of the bed and propped up on an elbow. He looks back at Wonshik and tugs forward, but doesn’t move much before he is being pulled to a stop again. “I guess I’m not getting up,” Hakyeon sighs as he runs a hand through his messy hair with the hand that isn’t trapped by Wonshik.

The younger vampire is still asleep, clinging tightly to Hakyeon’s arm like it’s his lifeline. Taekwoon thinks Hakyeon could slip from his grasp if he really tried, but that would probably result with Wonshik rising from slumber and, evidently, that’s not something the elder wants right now.

So, Taekwoon looks between the two, Wonshik, deep in slumber and holding Hakyeon so desperately, and Hakyeon, tired despite himself and only wanting to get out of bed and probably get cleaned up. He makes a decision. “I-I can,” he stutters, “I can let him hold onto me instead if it will help.”

“No, Darling. I appreciate the offer, but there is no need to go far. You shouldn’t feel obligated to do things before you’re ready, okay?” the vampire assures. Taekwoon nods, feeling unusually somber.

He really would have done it and wouldn’t have minded it so long as it helped. Touching Hakyeon was a big step, yes, but now that he has done it he feels more prepared to do more. He told Wonshik his name, so the younger vampire already essentially holds the angel’s life in his hands, and touching him won’t make a difference. Touching Wonshik is something Taekwoon can do, especially for Hakyeon’s sake.

Hakyeon probably knows best, though. The vampire has led him this far anyway.

 

\--------

 

Later, when they’ve all risen from bed, the same bed, and Hakyeon is sitting on the couch folding laundry, feeling all too much like a human mother instead of a vampire on the verge of a breakdown, Wonshik comes into the living room. He must have just showered, because his hair is dripping wet, water running down his neck and to his bare chest. Hakyeon tsks. “Let me dry your hair for you before you get sick,” he instructs, pulling a towel out of a different laundry basket off to the side. Perhaps he let things pile up a bit, but, in his defense, things have been hectic as of late.

“Hakyeon, I can’t even-”

“Just humor me this once,” Hakyeon says, voice sterner this time. Wonshik looks at him with narrowed eyes, like he’s having an internal debate about whether it’s worth it or not, then sits with a sigh. Hakyeon grins like he has won something and stands, stepping in front of Wonshik and pushing his knees apart with his own so he can move even closer. If the younger vampire is displeased, and Hakyeon knows he is, he doesn’t say anything, so Hakyeon doesn’t either.

The brunette grumbles when his maker starts actually toweling his hair, but Hakyeon ignores it easily. His thoughts are louder than Wonshik’s quiet huffs and mumbles of discontent anyway. As much as he wants to, he can’t just pretend everything is okay. He supposes now would be a good time to start a conversation, while his child is trapped and has had time to rest as well as think things over.

“So, how are you?” Hakyeon asks, hopefully casual and unassuming.

“Hakyeon,” Wonshik sighs, quickly catching on and reaching up to swat his maker’s hands away. “I said I’m not mad at you and I don’t feel like doing this right now. So, just, don’t,” Wonshik tells him, looking down. Hakyeon holds back his irritation, and his sigh, and steps back so he can better look at his child. Wonshik looks like the embodiment of guilt, eyes averted and fingers anxiously plucking at the fingernails of his opposite hand. Hakyeon frowns and sits.

“No, I’m sorry, Shik, I am, but this is something that needs to be talking about,” he says, placing a comforting hand on Wonshik’s knee.

“Can I at least go put a shirt on?” the younger pouts, puppy dog eyes in full effect.

“Your efforts are endearing, but futile,” Hakyeon leans down to grab a long sleeved shirt out of the laundry basket to throw at Wonshik. “Put it on and we will talk.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Aren’t I?” Hakyeon smiles, amused as he watches Wonshik pull his shirt over his head. He waits for his child to get settled again, cold eyes set on Hakyeon’s face and arms crossed over his chest. Then, he speaks, “You know, we both know, that Jaehwan messed up. I won’t say that he didn’t, but I will say that you shouldn’t have been so harsh.” Wonshik doesn’t speak, again, so Hakyeon continues. “He was scared, you know. I’m sure he wouldn’t have done such a thing if he wasn’t. He didn’t want it to be you next time. He didn’t want the next visit from Council to be Ilhoon informing him that you’re dead.”

“Are those his words or yours?” Wonshik asks after hesitating for a couple of beats. Twistedly enough, he sounds almost hopeful. It makes Hakyeon feel bad about his answer, but he refuses to lie about it.

He swallows roughly then weakly says, “Mine.” Wonshik scoffs and stands, running a hand through his wet hair as begins pacing the length of the carpet.

“Do you speak for him now, Hakyeon?” Wonshik asks with a raised voice and halts his pacing in front of the elder, “You know that he’s sorry and that he was hurt by me? He shouldn’t have done that and that’s it. So, sure, fine, apologies are due, but not just by me.”

“Now, you’re just being irrational,” Hakyeon replies, doing his best not to scoff or raise his voice. He knows this will probably only frustrate the younger further, but shouting back at him surely won’t do anything good either.

“I’m being irrational? He-”

“Yes, you’re being irrational because you’re lying to yourself for absolutely no reason,” Hakyeon cuts him off, “I can see that you’re hurt too, but an apology isn’t going to fix that for you, Shik, _you_. You miss him, just admit that. Admit that so you can call and apologize. Hell, I’ll even hide Taekwoon and invite Jaehwan over. Just made it right, Shik.”

Wonshik stares to him, then down at the ground and murmurs, “No.”

“I’m sorry, but he isn’t your pet, Love. He is a strong witch, a strong human at that, that will make his own mistakes and forge his own path. He’s not just something pretty to fawn over. He has feelings too, and you hurt them, so, yes, it is on you,” Hakyeon tells him, speaking quietly and calmly. Wonshik lets out a heavy breath and sits back down beside Hakyeon with his eyes glued to the floor.

“I know that, okay?” Wonshik says, matching Hakyeon’s volume now. Hakyeon holds back his sigh of relief, unnecessarily happy that his child didn’t continue running on his path of self-destruction and instead took Hakyeon’s words into account. It’s not often that Wonshik deescalates the situation himself, and it makes the elder all too proud that he has now. Hakyeon doesn’t speak on it though, just allows Wonshik his time to think since he can practically see the distraught written on the face of his child.

After a few long minutes, the younger straightens up, still not looking at his maker, and opens his mouth to speak with a shaky voice, “I just, I don’t know what you want me to say, Hakyeon. That I’m worried about him? Okay, yeah, I’m fucking scared. I just want him to be safe, but he’s an idiot. I mean, fuck, I love him and he-.” Wonshik seems to realize the words that slipped out of his own mouth with his rambling too late. He looks to Hakyeon with utter terror in his eyes. “I have to go- go see him,” he says, rising from his seat in a flash and heading towards the door even more quickly.

Hakyeon catches him by the wrist before he can leave, or even reach the door, and doesn’t budge even when the younger tries to rip himself out of his maker’s grasp. “I’m sorry, Shik, I can’t let you,” Hakyeon practically whispers, apologetic. He can’t let the younger run out again, not now, not when the threat has become something more than hushed rumors of ‘something dangerous’.

Wonshik opens his mouth to say something, most likely to curse at Hakyeon, but an unexpected knock on the door silences the both of them. The pair’s eyes snap to it, Wonshik flinching when a second round of urgent knocking comes barely half a minute after the first had ended. “If that is Ilhoon I swear to god I’m going to-”

“Be a good boy and put the silence charm on my bedroom door. Taekwoon is still in there showering,” Hakyeon orders, grateful he still has his grip on the younger’s wrist when he tries to dart towards the door again.

“Fine,” Wonshik mutters, though Hakyeon is hesitant to let him go. He does, once more knocking comes, then smooths down his hair and straightens his shirt before stepping towards the door. Out of all things he was prepared to deal with, a second visit from Ilhoon wasn’t one of them.

He swings it open and, quite inappropriately, greets his guests with a bright grin. It falls off of his face the moment he grasps the situation. The two employees that were instructed to watch over Jaehwan are there and, in between them with his head down and arms slung over their shoulders, is the witch himself. Hakyeon hears Wonshik gasp from behind him suddenly and, just as suddenly, he appears next to Hakyeon, moving forward with unnatural speed to lift Jaehwan’s head with his hands. The human is unconscious and his face looks _rough_ , but his heartbeat is steady, which is something to be grateful for if there is nothing else. It is starting to seem as if there isn’t.

“Is someone going to speak?” Hakyeon asks, probably more aggressive than completely necessary, as Wonshik scoops the witch up in his arms and carries him back into the house.

The two share a look before setting their eyes back on Hakyeon and, finally, the one on the left speaks, “Sir, I’m so sorry. Some hunters got the jump on us and we-we wanted to take him to the feeder house, but he refused and said he needed to come here before he passed out. I-I’m so sorry. I-”

Hakyeon has a million questions on his tongue, how could he not? Though, the lot of them die there when Wonshik calls his name with a broken whimper.

“Were you followed?” is the only question he decides to ask, effectively cutting off the rambles apologies from the, apparently useless, vampire. Both of the vampires standing in front of him shake their heads, vehemently refusing that idea. “Okay, then leave. Your information will be much more useful with Minhyuk than with me right now. We will care for Jaehwan, so go,” he orders, trying to go about this in a way that makes sense, even though _none_ of it makes any fucking sense.

Vampire hunters have no reason to go after Jaehwan. Surely, if they’ve been in town this long they could find more vampires themselves. They shouldn’t need that sort of information. Did they do this to him because he only serves supernaturals? Would that even be a reasonable step for them to take? It doesn’t make any sense, at least not right now.

He slams the door and locks it before rushing to Wonshik’s side. The younger has lied the human on the couch and is using the sleeves of his shirt to wipe the tacky blood from Jaehwan’s face as he sits beside him.

It’s hard to tell where all of the blood came from, perhaps his lip or the cut high on his cheekbone, or even the knuckles of the men that did this to him. Perhaps it doesn’t matter at all, Hakyeon just needs it to _stop._ The blood doesn’t unnerve him where bloodlust is concerned, too horrified to feel anything but fear and disgust and, again, if there is nothing else, Hakyeon can at least be thankful for this fact.

Wonshik’s hands are shaking as he gently pats the human’s busted lip and, because of those shaking hands, he knicks it, causing more blood to bead at the surface. Hakyeon places a hand on the younger vampire’s shoulder, hoping that the action is the least bit comforting. “Wonshik, take a moment. His heartbeat is strong and his breathing is steady. We will wash him down and get him fixed up, but first, you need to calm down,” Hakyeon suggests, trying to seem calm himself despite his panic that is verging on becoming overwhelming.

“Hakyeon, I can’t. What do I do? He’s- he’s,” Wonshik’s voice breaks off with an unattractive croak, throat probably sore from trying to hold back tears. Now, more than ever, Hakyeon needs to be strong for his child. He won’t cry, not for Wonshik, not for Jaehwan, he will handle it so they won’t have to cry again, if such a thing is even possible.

“Going to be okay,” Hakyeon finishes for him and moves to cup Wonshik’s cheeks in order to force his child to look at him, “He’s going to be okay. If you want to be helpful go wet a washcloth and bring it here. We need to clean him up to be able to see anything, okay, Shikkie?”

Wonshik gives a small nod with teary eyes and so, Hakyeon removes his hands. He steps back to give the younger move to stand and, when the younger gets up and scurries to the kitchen, he takes his place. Once he is closer he can see the witch’s injuries more clearly, a busted lip, a bloodied nose, a black eye, an ugly cut on his cheekbone, the whole lot of it. He’s not sure he wants to see what else lies under his turtleneck or the denim of his jeans. Hakyeon doesn’t know how the fuck he’s supposed to handle this, but he isn’t allowed to panic.

Wonshik is back at his side in an instant, gesturing for Hakyeon to get up again. Hakyeon looks up when he stands and finds Taekwoon peeking out from behind the door to his bedroom. His eyes widen, wondering how long the angel has been standing there and how the witch forgot to inform him that the silence threshold remains in the doorway even when the door is open. They meet eyes, Taekwoon all too guilty for the situation at hand, and the angel takes a step out of the room.

“I can help,” Taekwoon offers, voice barely even there.

“Taekwoon, you shouldn’t-”

“Oh, fuck off, Hakyeon,” Wonshik says, glancing back at his maker before turning his attention back to the angel, “What can you do?”

Hakyeon looks at the angel both in admiration and horror as Taekwoon makes his way over to the trio even as his heart rapid fires in his chest. Other than his heart rate, he doesn’t give an indication of the fear he is so obviously feeling. Hakyeon feels strangely dizzy, mind unable to handle the reality that his two worlds are colliding in one of the worst ways imaginable, but he, again, does his best not to allow himself to falter. He doesn’t even have that option right now.

He can only watch as Taekwoon squats next to the couch and makes a small noise at the back of his throat. “I can fix him, I think, “ he speaks up. “I was never told the extent of my power and this is quite a lot to fix, but I think I can do it.”

“You’re an angel. You can do it,” Wonshik says, though it sounds desperate rather than encouraging, really. Taekwoon spares Hakyeon a glance, head thrown over his shoulder and something unreadable in his eyes, before he huffs a breath and leans down to press his lips to the human’s.

The kiss only lasts a moment or two and, at the same that Jaehwan coughs back to consciousness, Taekwoon falls backward and just barely catches himself on his elbows. Hakyeon rushes forward and carefully helps the angel stand, seating him on the chair diagonal to the couch and leaving a whispered apology in his hair along with a kiss. Wonshik and Jaehwan are hugging when Hakyeon looks back, Jaehwan’s eyes closed and happy smile on his now-healthy lips. It barely makes the elder vampire feel any better.

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon murmurs back to him, catching Jaehwan’s attention. His jaw literally drops at the sight of the angel and he pulls out of Wonshik’s grasp to face the beautiful creature.

“That’s- he’s- what the fuck?” Jaehwan stumbles over his words, seeming too normal and just too _Jaehwan_ for the situation. He isn’t shaken up in the least, more simply surprised than anything else, and, not for the first time, Hakyeon finds himself wondering just what Jaehwan has been through.

“Yes, quite, but I feel like there are more pressing matters at the moment,” Hakyeon responds, laying a hand on Taekwoon’s shoulder. Perhaps he is selfish, but he wants to get out of this situation. He needs time to process everything and make sure the angel is okay now that he can see Jaehwan is relatively unbothered. Besides, Jaehwan and Wonshik obviously need time to settle their own business as well, hopefully with some finality this time. If Wonshik would just be honest with Jaehwan now that he has admitted it to himself, that would solve one problem at least.

“There’s an angel in your living room, like with wings and everything,” Jaehwan says loud as ever, as he clumsily gestures towards Taekwoon.

“And you came in here unconscious and covered in blood,” the elder vampire just about scoffs, incredulous. He looks to Wonshik then, “Shik, take him to your room and clean him up. I’m sure you two need to talk anyway.”

“ _But-_ ”

“Wonshik will answer whatever questions you have.”

Jaehwan pouts as he stands, stealing a sorrowful glance at the angel before reaching down to tug Wonshik along by his shirt. Wonshik stands and follows him, eyes never leaving the human’s face that is still thinly coated in tacky blood. Hakyeon watches them as they walk, hopefully seeming like he’s not bordering on full panic mode, then, finally, turns to the angel once the door is shut behind the pair.

He drops down and pulls Taekwoon into a hug, swallowing back the tears when Taekwoon whispers, “It’s okay. I’m okay. I love you.”

 

\--------

 

Wonshik walks ahead of Jaehwan to his bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet over the sink in order to retrieve a low-level pain medication that he keeps there just in case the human gets a headache, or stubs his toe, or something stupid like that, while he is visiting. Wonshik never thought it’d have to be used for something like this.

He pulls out two pills and holds them out in his palm, but Jaehwan responds with a dismissive wave. “I don’t feel anything, seriously,” the witch insists, poking at his own cheek, “I think it’s just numb or something. I’m fine.” Wonshik gives him a look, but quickly backs down and returns the pills to the small white bottle.

Jaehwan must not know, Wonshik resolves. Somehow, the human didn’t feel the angel’s lips on his or the bruises magically disappearing from under his skin, cuts sealing themselves back up. He thinks it’s just _fine_ like that, or less to explain right this second at least.

Jaehwan takes to wetting another washcloth and wiping his face with it. It’s quite the strange thing to see, the human’s clear, unblemished skin emerging as the carmine liquid is washed away. It leaves him feeling strangely uneasy. It’s not like he wants to see Jaehwan hurt, but the alternative is simply unnatural, leaves a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Perhaps it’s because he didn’t even have time to cope with Jaehwan being hurt before he has healed again. He doesn’t know.

“Am I that pretty?” Jaehwan asks, catching Wonshik off guard. The vampire snaps to attention and meets the witch’s eyes with his own wide ones. “You’re staring,” he clarifies with a light laugh.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Wonshik asks in disbelief. How Jaehwan could laugh right now is beyond him and it leaves him feeling even more strange. He doesn’t like wondering what was done to the witch and, as painful as knowing would be, he thinks remaining curious would hurt a lot more.

“Hunters, I think, came in and took the vampires out before any of us realized what was happening. They used a potion that was essentially the opposite of what I give you to resist the Call of the Sun, so they dropped and only I was left. There were five of them though, and only one of me, so you could see my problem,” Jaehwan chuckles, hollow and dull as his eyes roam downwards. Wonshik thinks he’s actually nauseous now, something he hasn’t felt in a few decades at least. He is feeling that urge to wrap Jaehwan up and hide him away again, but instead of acting on that, he lets the witch speak. It’s probably what Hakyeon would tell him to do anyway. “They wanted information and I wouldn’t give it to them, so here we are. I think they just have power and luck, but, as smart as they were for not killing vampires that belong to a feeder house, they must have been absolute idiots not to have noticed what houses are still full of activity in the middle of the night, like come on. They ran off once they noticed they weren’t getting anything out of me, so I woke the vamps up and passed out myself, and now we are here. Are you pleased?” Jaehwan asks with a smile.

Wonshik shakes his head, though he doesn’t have the energy to be angry about it anymore. He can only sigh and ask, “You’re an idiot, you know?”

“I know,” Jaehwan smiles, turning to Wonshik briefly to pat his hair. “So, this angel, you gonna tell me about that?”

“Jae,” Wonshik sighs for a second time.

“What?” the witch shrugs, “I’ve been wrapped up in this business my entire life. Not everyone is nice, Shik. Bad things happen and that’s just _it._ I go back to work and hope the next night will be better so that my business can do good for the creatures that need it. When I say I’m fine, I mean it.” Wonshik doesn’t know how to respond to that, so he just doesn’t.

Jaehwan swings the medicine cabinet shut, probably to check that he removed all of the blood, and gasps once he is able to face his reflection. “Ah, the angel, he did that,” Wonshik fills in before the human even has time to ask. “He’s really different than how you’d think an angel would be, so I was surprised that he did _that,_ but he did, so I guess you should thank him or something. I don’t know. I guess if I were Hakyeon I’d tell you to be careful with him, not to touch him, I don’t know.”

Jaehwan simply grins at him as he rambles on, making it infinitely harder to push the words out, but he manages somehow. It’s not as informative or intelligent as it could have been, but he supposes it got some of the main points across. He isn’t sure. He isn’t sure about anything besides the fact that the nausea in his gut is a sick confirmation of one fact. He loves Jaehwan. Looking at the witch here, pretty even under the harsh yellow lights with the crinkles in the corners of his eyes and the bright pink shade of his lips, he can say for sure that he loves him. Well, he probably could have said it before, but he didn’t want to believe it. A vampire in love with a human always ends in death one way or another.

“What do you know?” the witch asks jokingly.

“I-I don’t know,” Wonshik replies dumbly in an attempt to cover the way he almost blurted out an ‘I love you’.

“Well, can I borrow one of your shirts? Mine has blood on it,” Jaehwan requests, nonchalantly, like he spilled a condiment on his shirt instead of his own blood. Wonshik nods blankly and follows the human on autopilot as he starts out of the room.

Once at Wonshik’s dresser, Jaehwan pulls his shirt off over his head before grabbing a t-shirt out of a drawer. Wonshik isn’t sure what he’s supposed to say, how he’s supposed to react, from here. He wants to go along with Jaehwan’s good mood, pretending all is well, but it’s so hard. It’s even harder now that he knows he loves the man.

“This is the one I got you for your birthday,” Jaehwan tells him, happy as can be, as he slips the shirt on. The witch’s grin, mixed with the scent of Jaehwan’s blood still wafting through the air, is something Wonshik can’t handle anymore. He steps forward and pulls the man into his embrace, tucking his head into the crook of Jaehwan’s neck where the scent of his perfume is still lingering. He breathes it in and holds Jaehwan as close as he possibly can, like that will fix all the problems in the world.

When the human hugs him back, he thinks it just might, “I’m okay,” Jaehwan assures, rubbing his back with a soothing touch.

“It was so scary, Jae,” he mutters, finally honest with both himself and the witch. That too, was scary, but this time that fear means something good, he thinks. He thinks that if he isn’t honest now, of all times, then he may never be.

“I know, Baby, I know, but I’m okay. It’s all going to be okay,” the human continues, briefly turning his head to peck at Wonshik’s hair.

“I love you,” the vampire finally, _finally,_ admits, though the words are a bit muffled into the witch’s neck. At this, Jaehwan gasps, and pulls back, holding the vampire’s face in his palms. “I love you,” he repeats, looking into Jaehwan’s eyes this time.

“I love you too,” Jaehwan smiles, hands moving down clasp at the back of Wonshik’s neck. Wonshik can only blink at him, unable to fathom the fact that those words even left the man’s lips. The blonde chuckles, probably at the look of shock on the vampire’s face, then asks, “So, are you going to kiss me now or what?”

Wonshik just stands there for another second or so before stepping forward, pulling the human close, and pressing their lips together. It feels like everything right in the world has come together for this moment alone, as dramatic and _Hakyeon_ as that may be. Jaehwan’s lips are warm and soft against his, hands firm where he’s now grasping the back of the vampire’s neck. There’s that sweet scent to his skin, if Wonshik looks over the scent of blood anyway, and the vampire relishes in it. He could probably- no- _definitely_ kiss Jaehwan all night.

The witch pulls away first, but remains close, breath mingling between them as they stand there and hold each other. Jaehwan giggles at the vampire’s still-shocked expression and leans in to peck at Wonshik’s lips for only a moment. “You’re so cute,” Jaehwan compliments, letting his hands fall lower to hang clasped together against the vampire’s lower back.

“Shut up,” Wonshik replies and actually chuckles, a small act that feels like a god damned feat right now. He’s just thankful for Jaehwan’s safety, thankful for his love and his very, very pretty lips.

 

\--------

 

Taekwoon is taking a bath, after claiming that he felt ‘yucky’, which is a word Hakyeon didn’t think the angel knew, let alone used. If Hakyeon weren’t worried out of his mind, he might have labeled such a thing as cute. A call to the feeder house told him all he needs to know, that there are five stupid hunters in town that are running on pure luck and vengeance. In Hakyeon’s opinion, it is just about the worst combination, though, it is how he ended up with Wonshik, so he doesn’t have much room to talk. Minhyuk said there’s not much they could do, which Hakyeon, very unfortunately, agreed with. They can’t do anything.

The men wore masks and gloves, didn’t even leave a smudged fingerprint behind for Council to do anything with. It’s not like the supernaturals could set out and decide to start a hunt of their own for these murderers. Besides calling attention to themselves it would just be barbaric. They don’t even know what they’re up against and it wouldn’t do any good to make more creatures vulnerable to whatever it is. They’re sitting ducks. They just get to wait and hope they get even luckier than the damn fools making a joke out of Council. If those hunters continue to be so lucky, someone will kill them before Council gets to them. A horrible part of Hakyeon hopes they don’t continue to be so lucky.

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon calls from the bathroom, pulling the vampire from his own head. Hakyeon pats his own face, forcing himself back to the present. What he needs to do now is care for the angel, then he must check on Jaehwan and hopefully get everyone to bed early. Satan knows they all need the rest.

He goes to the bathroom door and knocks, though Taekwoon is the one who beckoned him in the first place. At the very least, he hopes the angel’s nakedness is somewhat covered, because that’s just another thing he doesn’t have the mental capacity to deal with at the moment. “Come in,” the angel says, as expected.

Hakyeon opens the door, keeping his eyes to the white tile floor as he walks in further. The humid air envelopes him like a hug, the scent of vanilla and jasmine heavy in the air, heavy enough that a small part of Hakyeon fears that it’ll smother the angel’s scent. He hopes that later, when the angel inevitably ends up in his arms, he’ll still smell like night, like _Taekwoon._  “Is there something you needed, Darling?” he asks, probably looking awkward with the way he is keeping his eyes averted.

He hears a small ‘Oh’ sound from Taekwoon and the shower curtain sliding shut before the angel speaks up and says, “You can look at me.” With some hesitance, Hakyeon raises his eyes from the floor and looks to the angel instead, finding that the opaque black curtain was closed enough for only his head and bare shoulders to be visible. Taekwoon’s hair is wet and slicked back out of his face, save for one long white strand that is hanging down and tickling the bridge of his nose, and his cheeks are tinged pink, and, if one is to ignore the blush that sits prettily on the angel’s skin, he resembles a marble sculpture. Hakyeon smiles and walks forward to squat on the fluffy rug next to the tub, partly because the frigid tile floor under his bare feet was beginning to get seriously uncomfortable.

“You know, I don’t know much about this stuff,” Taekwoon says quietly, gaze drifting down to the bubbly water. Hakyeon nods and hums, expecting the angel to continue with whatever point he is going to make. Then though, Taekwoon looks up to him, seemingly in search of reassurance.

“I’d say so,” Hakyeon agrees, trying not to sound insulting, “But, despite what you don’t know, you’ve learned a lot and have grown so much. I’m really thankful for what you did earlier, seriously. I don’t know what we would have done without you, Darling. So, thank you for doing that and I’m sorry for doubting you earlier. I should have had more faith in you when you offered to help with Wonshik.”

“It’s okay, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon assures, “I was fearful, but it felt good to help.” Hakyeon nods again and reaches through the invisible barrier between the two to finally push that strand of hair out of Taekwoon’s face. The angel tilts his head up, following the vampire’s hand when he begins to pull it away, not unlike a kitten. Hakyeon tries not to chuckle for the sake of the serious atmosphere and not embarrassing Taekwoon, and instead continues to run his hands through the angel’s hair, practically petting him. Taekwoon takes a deep breath and lets his eyes close for quite a few beats of his heart before speaking again. “I think I like kissing you,” he states, to Hakyeon’s absolute astonishment and confusion, “That’s a human thing, or a vampire thing, I guess, either way, it’s not meant for angels so I don’t know much. Jaehwan didn’t feel the same though, so I think I only like kissing you.”

“I-” Hakyeon starts, but quickly realizes he has nothing much of worth to say to that. It is a shock, to say the least. It makes him feel nice, like it is some sort of confirmation that Taekwoon feels something like what Hakyeon feels for him. It makes it feel a little more real, like Taekwoon is his lover instead of his student. Hakyeon doesn’t expect anything sexual from the angel, would never expect that or ask for that, it just feels _nice_ to have some confirmation that Taekwoon sees him as something more than a mentor. He feels younger than he has in a number of years, like his school crush has just confessed their feelings for him, leaves him as giddy as he is shocked.

Hakyeon isn’t sure why it is something that is triggered now, but, with those words, it feels like a flower has bloomed in Hakyeon’s chest, overtaking his unbeating heart and planting life inside of him once again. He wonders how it’s even possible, after such a night of a shock and horror, to feel so light and happy with such a short statement. “I love you,” Hakyeon tells him, feeling slightly breathless despite the lack of his need to breathe.

“I love you too,” the angel smiles, eyes meeting the vampire’s now, “Can you- can you kiss me now?”

Hakyeon lets out a chuckle and leans in to the edge of the tub as his hand travels from his hair to the nape of his neck, allowing the angel to lean in the rest of the way so as not to invade his privacy too much. Taekwoon’s eyes drop down to the vampire’s lips and they seem a bit unsure, but he closes them and moves closer anyway.

Their lips clash, or perhaps ‘clash’ is too harsh a word to describe it, and Hakyeon can’t help smiling into it. It’s ironic how this kiss, lack of any real magic or healing properties, feels the most miraculous.

Hakyeon retreats after a couple almost _too_ perfect seconds and rests his forehead against the angel’s. “Yeah, I only like kissing you,” the angel resolves.

“Then I’ll make it so you’ll never have to kiss anyone else again, as long as you so choose,” Hakyeon assures and, though he knows it is a massive promise to make, especially where eternity in a vampire’s life is concerned, he adds, “I promise.”

 

After internally screaming over the angel for entirely too long and running to his room to retrieve pajamas for him, Hakyeon finally regains his sanity and heads to confront the lovebirds. He hasn’t heard any yelling, nor a door slamming to indicate that Wonshik had run out again, so he doesn’t know whether to be worried or not. He hopes it’s a good sign, hopes it doesn’t mean they are just clenching their teeth in the same space and giving each other the silent treatment. Though, he feels as if that’s the most likely outcome.

Jaehwan opens the door with a bright smile on his face, lips swollen and a dark purple mark, or several, blooming on his neck that’s on full display despite the way he is partly hiding behind the door. Another thing that Hakyeon immediately notices, is that the witch is wearing one of Wonshik’s shirts, specifically the one that Wonshik was wearing earlier, even though there is still blood on the sleeves and scuffed on the shoulder from when the pair had hugged. “I don’t even want to know,” Hakyeon says and raises a hand, tired, before Jaehwan even gets a chance to speak. “I just wanted to see that you two were doing alright, but from the looks of it, you’re doing quite well. Have a good day and I suppose we will discuss things more in depth tomorrow night.”

“Thank you, Hakyeon, seriously,” Jaehwan tells him, his sincerity peeking through his playfulness.

“I’d really rather have you tell me that when you’re both decent. I don’t even want to think about what state my child is in right now,” he sighs.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t want to know. He-”

“Do not,” Hakyeon stops him, “After all we have been through tonight, do you really think I need such an image in my head?”

“Well then, goodnight!” the witch chimes then promptly shuts the door in the vampire’s face. Hakyeon sighs before taking the silence charm from his own doorknob and transferring it to Wonshik’s door. At least he has the angel’s arms to retire to when the night feels like too much, Hakyeon thinks. What would he do without such a thing?

 

\--------

 

Taekwoon has had too many chances to think tonight, has seen too much as well, and it’s brought about a lot of issues he hadn’t thought of before, a lot of fears. For instance, losing Hakyeon had never been something he was scared of until tonight. He had heard about the deaths, the wrath of Council, the overwhelming amount of danger in the world, but it never felt like a reality for the angel. He had never seen it firsthand and, with that, no real fear manifested, just a quiet sense of anxiety that simmered in the back of his mind.

Though, when his first introduction to Jaehwan was _as it was_ , he realized this realm is just as brutal as it was described, if not more. He’d never seen such brutality in a physical form. The Old Ones damning those who had made even the smallest mistake, such as having compassion, was brutal, as was the way they’d never let angels in on what love is, but this was different in every way. It was a tangible danger that could take Hakyeon away, could take away those Hakyeon loves. So, what would they do? And could they even answer that? Was safety even an option in this realm? Or, more importantly, why didn’t it make him want to flee?

Taekwoon wants to stay, to stick by Hakyeon’s side as long as he can and to find a way even after then. He had never really considered it, actually never seeing the light of Heaven again, but thinking about it now, he doesn’t think he would mind too much. Hakyeon has introduced him to love, even taught him something as basic as empathy. Hakyeon isn’t without flaw, of course, because, as much as the Old Ones like to think so, no one is created or lives perfectly. Taekwoon loves him anyway though, and he wouldn’t want to be without the vampire despite the way Hakyeon worries too much for his own good and can’t just fix everything with the snap of his fingers. Such a feeling is love, he knows it is, and, had he been sent back to Heaven, he may have gotten himself damned on purpose anyway, just to live another night with Hakyeon. Hakyeon probably wouldn’t like that, just like Wonshik proclaimed that he doesn’t want Jaehwan to give up his life to become like himself, but he’d do it anyway. If the love between the human and the vampire is anything like Taekwoon and Hakyeon’s, he thinks Jaehwan would do it too.

And so he will stay, even if by some bittersweet miracle the option to leave sets itself upon him, he’d stay. A life without love is certainly not worth whatever power it would give Taekwoon, had given him. This is something he knows for certain now and it’s something he never wants to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for hurting our baby jae, but i hope you enjoy the character development and plot development and fluffy parts and stuff !! 
> 
> comments, kudos, and dms are appreciated !!  
> twitter- @hunscafe


	17. Night 16 - Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know what,,, now on I'm not going to pretend to have a schedule with my updates,, im sorry
> 
> also this chapter jumps around a bit so im sorry if it's confusing, but i tried to make it as cohesive as possible and (as always) forgive typos pls

Taekwoon isn’t sure what exactly led him to this position, him curled up on the chair in the living room across from Wonshik and Jaehwan, who had been staring at the angel like he’s the strangest thing he’s ever seen. That may be true, Taekwoon thinks.

Perhaps it was simply opportunity that led him here. Hakyeon barely slept during the day, all too worried about _everything_ , and Taekwoon had already been planning to let him sleep when Wonshik knocked on the door. The younger vampire told him that Jaehwan really wanted to meet him and, as much as Hakyeon was worried about that, Taekwoon was excited.

He has shared a bed with a vampire and has worn clothes made by demons, but he has yet to meet a human. He was taught quite a few things about humans, that they’re born pure and spend the rest of their lives sinning. Religion is another human thing, a lot of fancy words and concepts to make them feel better about the inevitable end to life- their sort of life at least. There are angels, gods, deities, so much more, of course, but they’re not what humans think they are. Taekwoon isn’t sure why Heaven is the common term, but he figures that’s a question for later, perhaps for Jaehwan.

He has hope for Jaehwan, that he won’t be the sinner that Taekwoon was told he would be. And, if not, oh well, Taekwoon has done his fill of sinning as well. On the other hand, if Jaehwan is dangerous and worse comes to worst, Taekwoon has a built-in kill switch for humans, just another devilish thing that the Old Ones liked to gloat about.

“So, you’re Leo and I’m Jaehwan,” Jaehwan finally speaks, breaking the silence between them that Taekwoon hadn’t had the courage to. He is on his own for now, Hakyeon deep in his much-needed slumber, and, even though he’s excited and sure enough that neither of the creatures would ever hurt him, he is on edge anyway. Wonshik is just Wonshik, but Jaehwan is new, human. For now, a threat. Taekwoon is a secret that Jaehwan hasn’t promised to keep yet.

Despite all that he finds himself saying, “I’m Taekwoon.” It’s much easier than fear, much easier than hiding. Wonshik shoots a look over the human’s shoulder at that, one that’s hard to read, but the angel is too focused on Jaehwan to pay the vampire much attention. The human perks up at his response, sitting up straighter and bumping Wonshik’s chin with his shoulder from where he is seated in his lap. Wonshik huffs and bites the human’s clothed shoulder with blunt teeth. Jaehwan doesn’t even flinch.

“Okay, Taekwoon, I’m Jaehwan,” he says through giggles, before pausing and adding, “You haven’t fallen, but you’re here and we don’t know why that is.” Jaehwan pauses for a second time and sets his eyes on the angel, seemingly in search of confirmation.

Though, if that look means he is trying to figure the angel out, Taekwoon suspects he will end up feeling very unsatisfied, especially since Taekwoon himself hasn’t figured it all out yet. He stopped questioning his presence here some time ago, figured it might just be one of those things that _is_ , not unlike himself.

He nods anyway, wondering how all of the human's movements and expressions can bleed excitement whereas his words feel so calculated. He wonders if that’s a human thing or a Jaehwan thing, because he learned some time ago that stuff like that doesn’t always equate.

“Well, shit, there isn’t much out there on angels, but if someone would have come to me sooner, _Wonshik,_ I could have done some research. I’m not really prepared, so, instead, tell me how you like-- Earth, I guess. I don’t know what you would call it, but how do you like it _here?_ ” the human asks. Taekwoon thinks that is quite a loaded question, considering everything that has happened up to this point. He’s sure it should be difficult to answer, but the answer comes considerably quickly.

“I like this realm, more so than Heaven, I think. Staying has crossed my mind,” Taekwoon finishes with a voice so quiet it may as well have been a gust of wind. He wonders if he should say it or if he’s even allowed to say it, that he wants to stay. He’s sure it wouldn’t damn him, doesn’t know if anything can do that at this point, but it still feels like something that shouldn’t be said. He knows that Hakyeon loves him, probably wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, but offering eternity is a lot more than whispered ‘I love you’s and sinful kisses buried beyond the steam of a warm bath.

“What do you mean?” Wonshik asks, curious, if not concerned, gaze set on Taekwoon so heavily the angel thinks he can feel the phantom weight of it on his shoulders.

\----------

 

Hakyeon panics when he wakes and finds himself alone in bed. He can hear Taekwoon’s heartbeat, not far away at all, but that fact doesn’t do much to ease his nerves. The angel’s heart rate is too fast, which could mean anything really, could be nothing. Hakyeon isn’t willing to take any chances, though, given the events of the previous night.

He is out of bed in a flash and swings the door open with much more force than necessary, causing it to fly open so quickly the doorknob leaves a dent in the wall. He will have time to be upset about that later, but now he needs to find Taekwoon-- Taekwoon who is peacefully sitting on the chair, looking at Hakyeon like he has two heads.

The vampire breathes out a sigh of relief and clutches a hand over his heart, feeling as comforted as he does foolish. Very. Of course, Taekwoon is fine, Hakyeon thinks as he glances to the hole he just put in the otherwise pristine wall. He _really_ hopes that isn’t a sign to warn him of how the rest of the night will follow.

He runs his hands through his already messy hair and looks to the heartbeat opposite of Taekwoon. So Jaehwan and Wonshik are already up as well, he observes, and they’re probably causing more trouble than they have any right to be. Hakyeon holds back a second sigh and moves towards the angel, grateful that he is safe at the very least.

He plants himself behind the chair Taekwoon is sitting in, maneuvering between the angel’s wings to drape his arms over the broader man’s shoulders and across his chest. The angel smells of the bubble bath from the previous night and a bit like Hakyeon, but there is still that specific Taekwoon smell. It makes him want to pull the angel impossibly closer and never let go, everything else they have to worry about be damned. Still, safety comes before happiness, so he only allows himself to steal a few kisses, leaving a light trail of them from the side of the angel’s neck to the crown of his head. Then, he relents after leaving one last smooch in his hair, both because there is actual business to attend to and because the tips of Taekwoon’s ears have dyed themselves red.

“Woah,” Jaehwan comments intelligently, forcing Hakyeon to remember that there are still others in the room. He finds that it’s easy to forget around Taekwoon. He straightens up, just enough to rest his chin on the angel’s head, and turns his attention to the witch. “I don’t actually know if there is one, but if there is, this is definitely going to fuck up the universe’s balance,” he adds. Taekwoon tenses beneath the vampire, probably not too thrilled about potentially screwing up the balance of the universe, though Hakyeon doesn’t believe there is one. Had Hakyeon been younger and still afraid as he always used to be, those words probably would have made him uneasy as well. Luckily for Taekwoon, he’s not.

He shoots an accusing look at Wonshik, then a pointed one at Jaehwan that the witch doesn’t actually catch, and hopes his child will take the hint. Jaehwan isn’t exactly his to scold anymore. As much as Hakyeon loves him and sees him as his own, he’s simply not. Hakyeon has set no claim on him and, even if Wonshik hasn’t either, a kiss is as good as a bite in some scenarios, scenarios like theirs. So, Jaehwan is not his to scold, though he really hopes Wonshik has the willpower to do so.

“You can’t say things like that, Jae,” Wonshik says, leaning into the human’s ear and speaking in a voice that isn’t quite a whisper. Taekwoon heard it, Hakyeon can tell by the way he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, always tuned in to each of the angel’s actions. Hakyeon frowns and leaves another kiss in the angel’s hair instead of allowing himself to sigh again. He knows they don’t intend to hurt Taekwoon, but such things can happen when the distance between them is as vast as it is. There may as well be an ocean between them and what they’re doing now, swimming, is not going to be good enough in the long run.

“Taekwoon isn’t deaf, nor is he stupid, so don’t belittle him with your whispers. He’s smart and learns quickly if you give him the chance,” Hakyeon speaks up with a tone that’s soft rather than harsh and scolding. “All of us are part of this now and, with everything else going on, we at least need to be able to take care of each other. I won’t make a speech for fear of my child’s ears falling off, but I will say that things really aren’t going to be fun if we don’t understand each other, talk to each other.”

“What do you think we were doing before you came out here?” Wonshik asks with raised brows.

“Won-” Hakyeon starts with a sigh, but silences himself upon hearing the sudden knocking at the door. “I’m sure it’s Council,” he says as he stands up, pulling away from the angel and closing his eyes to hold back any less-than-kind words that threaten to slip out. “Taekwoon, Darling, go to your room and get dressed,” he instructs then looks to Wonshik, “Shik, you know the drill by now.” Wonshik nods at this, patting at Jaehwan’s shoulder to silently signal him to stand, and gets up to grab the charm from his bedroom door.

 

Less than two minutes pass, Wonshik herding Taekwoon away into his room before dragging Jaehwan into the vampire’s own. Hakyeon takes only half a minute to throw on some jeans and a tasteful sweater, if only to seem like he hasn’t completely let himself go, before rushing to answer the door.

“You know, while I don’t enjoy being made to wait, I find myself wondering if the thrill of being hunter bait is almost worth it,” Ilhoon smiles as a greeting, smug as all hell despite that he is, in fact, effectively acting as hunter bait. If it were any other councilman, Hakyeon may have considered leaving him out there, but a large, sentimental part of him loves Ilhoon too much to leave him to the danger outside. So, Hakyeon returns the grin, though not as snide, and steps aside to make way for the vampire now entering his home. The councilman’s cape brushes against Hakyeon’s ankles, prompting him to close his eyes for a moment so as to stop himself from rolling them.

“My apologies, I was getting dressed. Shall I come out naked next time?” Hakyeon asks as he shuts the door, hopefully coming off playful instead of petty-- though he is so petty.

Ilhoon laughs, hearty and shameless, as he leans back against the back of the couch, the same place he stood the previous time he visited. It gives Hakyeon a horrible sense of deja vu, seeing as the last time Ilhoon did that he delivered news of two dead vampires. “While that would be amusing, I fear it would come as quite the shock to the neighbors,” the councilman says, smiling brightly, though it is condescending in an odd sense. “Anyways,” Ilhoon starts again, barely giving Hakyeon any time to respond. “I heard about the incident at a certain witch’s shop. I also heard the little thing got a ride here. Where is he now?”

“He’s-” Hakyeon begins, only to be cut off by Jaehwan’s own voice.

“Here,” comes Jaehwan’s voice from the doorway of Wonshik’s room. He only opens the door enough to slip his thin frame out, leaning back in briefly to, assumedly, force a pushy Wonshik back into the room. Hakyeon is thankful for it, seeing as this situation, Ilhoon seeing Jaehwan miraculously healed without explanation, is bad enough without Wonshik coming out to shoot the elder vampire dirty looks and whisper snappy comments about Council.

When Jaehwan does step out, he is wearing one of Wonshik’s sleeveless shirts that, apparently, Hakyeon hadn’t noticed earlier in the night. It’s cut so low down the sides that it shows off his unmarked ribs, the only blemishes on his skin being the already-fading hickeys on his neck and the small pimple on his forehead that’s mostly hidden by his messy bangs. Hakyeon holds back a sigh, wondering how the hell they’re going to get out of this one.

“Oh, Jaehwan, aren’t you pretty?” Ilhoon says as more of a statement than a question, a troublesome glint in his eyes. Jaehwan smiles at that, though his eyes narrow slightly, and Hakyeon can’t tell if he picked up on the implications behind that question.

Perhaps it’s because Hakyeon knows Ilhoon as well as he does, or perhaps it’s because he can be just as sly as the councilman at times, but Hakyeon heard a lot of things behind that one proclamation. Another possibility is his paranoia, but who knows? For whatever reason it may be, he hears the underlying questions. Why are you healed? How are you healed? What exactly happened? Innocent, curious questions really, if they were to come from anyone else but a councilman and the answers weren’t conspicuous in themselves.

“I heard you were in rough shape,” Ilhoon adds, “Come closer, won’t you?”

Jaehwan hums an affirmative answer and steps forward, heartbeat as steady and confident as his footsteps. He’s such a fearless creature, Hakyeon observes. The vampire finds himself unjustly jealous of the human, seeing as he, a creature nearly three centuries old that contentedly sits somewhere at the top of the food chain, would more than likely hesitate when beckoned by a councilman.

“May I?” Ilhoon requests, raising a hand to Jaehwan’s chin, but leaving the smallest of spaces between his hand and the smooth skin of the witch’s face. The usually talkative witch responds with a curt nod and a subtle grin, casually leaning towards the Council member. “Hm,” the shorter vampire hums as he takes Jaehwan’s face in his hand and turns it from side to side. Unsurprisingly, the human doesn’t falter under the attention. “And a witch’s magic can do all of this?” he questions, still inspecting the witch’s features closely.

“Of course,” Jaehwan replies, answering the question that Hakyeon had no real response to without hesitation, “If the witch is talented.” Hakyeon plays his part, rolling his eyes despite the anxiety that comes with the very likely possibility that the human just blatantly lied to Council. On the contrary, Ilhoon huffs out a laugh and lets his hand drop to his side.

“How humble,” the councilman muses, “And what secrets do you have that need to be hidden by an anti-glamour potion, Witch?”

“Not many in particular, but I do like my privacy,” Jaehwan replies, standing up straight once again. Ilhoon makes another small ‘hm’ sound and lets his eyes rake shamelessly over the human. If possible, this makes Hakyeon even more uneasy. “If you were looking for details from that night, I can’t provide many. They were covered from head to toe and came in to ask for information that I don’t keep. You were told of the aftermath and there’s nothing other to speak of than that. Had they not worn gloves I could have gotten a trace on them, but, unfortunately, those fools did a few things correctly,” he finishes with arms crossed over his chest and a sense of confidence in the upturn of the corners of his lips. Hakyeon does his best not to look shocked, though he is quite so. In all the years he has known Jaehwan, he has not known him to speak in such a verbose way. Though, Hakyeon figures that in the business that Jaehwan is in, he must have had to learn a few things, how to play the part and such.

“Well, the night is short and there is much work to be done. Do you mind if I drop by your shop to look for a scent?” Ilhoon says as he stands and heads to the door, already expecting an affirmative answer.

The councilman has a hand on the doorknob when Jaehwan speaks up with, “Yes, I do mind.” Ilhoon stops, door open just enough to let a light breeze in to rustle the end of his cape, and turns around half way so that he has to look partly over his shoulder. The look on his face is difficult for Hakyeon to read, but it doesn’t feel dangerous, not completely anyway. “There are fragile things in that shop and, with all due respect, your untrained hand is a liability for the both of us. For instance, that untrained hand,” Jaehwan explains, glancing from Ilhoon’s hand, the one that’s still lingering on the doorknob, to his face with a small smirk, “I’m sure you’d like to keep it.”

A puff of light laughter escapes Ilhoon’s lips before he regains his composure and fully turns around to propose, “Would you like to come with me then, Witch? I haven’t had a babysitter in some years, perhaps you’d like to make me feel young again.”

“No thank you, but the feeder house employees have a spare key and I’m sure vampires will be more helpful, less demeaning than a human looking over you as well. Though, please don’t mind the mess. I didn’t really have time to clean things up,” Jaehwan jokes, or half-jokes. It’s sometimes hard to tell with him.

“Of course,” Ilhoon replies curtly, “Well, then, Hakyeon, you have a good night. Jaehwan, I see you and Wonshik are enjoying your recovery so I suppose any pleasantries or well wishes are unnecessary. Though, if you recall anything of that night, I’m up at the Hilton in town. Just state your name and ask for me at the front desk.”

Jaehwan only replies with a nod, so Hakyeon takes the opportunity to finally get a word in, “You have a good night as well. I’m sure you don’t need it, but good luck at the shop.” At that, Ilhoon just hums and turns his back, stepping out of the house and onto the porch with the humid summer breeze.

“Jesus Christ, Jaehwan,” Hakyeon sighs out the second he’s sure the door is firmly shut behind the councilman. Part of him wants to scold Jaehwan, berate him for hours until he fully understands the repercussions of lying to Council, but he just _can’t._ It’s not his place now and, besides, this time it’s on him. This time it isn’t just Jaehwan being reckless with misguided good intentions, it’s him painting a target on himself in order to save the rest of the house. What else can Hakyeon do but shut his mouth and be grateful?

Wonshik steps out of his room then, eyes filled with something between anger and sadness as he looks from Hakyeon to Jaehwan. “Be angry, say what you want, Shik, but he just saved all of us, so consider a ‘thank you’,” the elder speaks up before his child has a chance to say anything stupid. Wonshik huffs and tugs his hand out of Hakyeon’s in order to pull Jaehwan into a hug.

“You’re stupid,” Wonshik mumbles into the skin of the human’s neck, arms wrapped snugly around his waist and chests pressed against each other, “But thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Jaehwan replies, happily pecking at Wonshik’s temple with lips puckered dramatically and exaggerated kissing noises. Hakyeon breathes out a tired laugh, feeling anxious and out of place.

“I’m going to go talk to Taekwoon,” Hakyeon announces, though he’s sure it falls on deaf ears, the two of them too wrapped up in each other to even care that the elder vampire is still in the room. He holds back a sigh for what must be the hundredth time that night and turns on his heel to see the angel, his angel.

Council knows nothing of the hunters, is what Hakyeon took away from that brief meeting. They’re prideful, every single one of them without exception, and not even Ilhoon would risk that pride unless they were truly desperate. They have nothing and Hakyeon suspects it’s becoming less about finding the hunters for the town’s sake and more about finding them to keep from making a fool of themselves. Even the air of mystery was lifted. They’re holed up at the Hilton for god’s sake.

 

\------------

 

Taekwoon is pacing in short, small circles right beside his bedroom door. He just heard Hakyeon say that he is going to come for the angel, but he’s anxious anyway. The conversation that was held outside of his door was quite muffled, some parts being hard to make out, but the parts he did hear, he almost wishes he hadn’t. He knows Council is dangerous, overheard Hakyeon speaking to Jaehwan about it all before, but he also knows Jaehwan just lied to the councilman’s face. He doesn’t understand it.

When Taekwoon made the decision to save Jaehwan, that was his own gamble, the vampires nor Jaehwan could undo his existence here for doing such a thing. On the other hand, Jaehwan just gambled his life with a creature much more powerful than himself to save a creature much more powerful than himself, a foolish action if you ask Taekwoon. There is a line drawn somewhere between empathy and recklessness, one that Wonshik dances at without much thought, and Taekwoon thinks that Jaehwan has just crossed it. The angel really doesn’t understand. Perhaps he can ask Jaehwan about it.

He hears the door open behind him and is quick to turn around, finding Hakyeon standing there with an apologetic smile on his face. The vampire takes one last furtive glance back at the living room before stepping inside and shutting the door behind himself. “Did you hear?” he asks as he moves forward to rest a hand at the back of the angel’s neck, warm fingers playing with the hairs there.

“Some of it,” Taekwoon informs, letting his head tip back the slightest bit. He wonders if Hakyeon knows just how distracting his touch is, how hard it makes it to think about anything else besides the vampire and just how taken Taekwoon is with him. If they had time to simply relax, or if it were a few nights ago, the touch would be welcome, but not now.

“Well, let’s sit for a bit. Wonshik and Jaehwan have a little something to work through right now anyway,” Hakyeon suggests, stepping to the side to sit on the bed and, much to the angel’s relief, removing the hand from the back of his neck. Taekwoon does as instructed and seats himself across from the vampire, if only to ensure distance and maintain his focus. Though, all he really wants to do right now is sink into Hakyeon’s chest and let the vampire pepper kisses into his hair.

“Jaehwan lied,” Taekwoon states once they’re settled.

“It’s going to be okay,” Hakyeon tells him without missing a beat.

“But you-”

“I know what I said before and I’m sorry for speaking so harshly in front of you, but it’s going to be okay. There’s a way to save Jaehwan from Council, okay?” he assures, though Taekwoon is still a bit apprehensive.

There was a short conversation, quite a few days ago, about a way to save the human from Council. Wonshik called it ‘claiming’, if Taekwoon is remembering correctly, but Hakyeon quickly shut that idea down. If claiming is what the vampire is referring to, Taekwoon thinks he can’t agree with such a thing, not to save himself at least. Hakyeon said things like that couldn’t be thrown around and, more importantly, Wonshik said he wants Jaehwan to live. The angel can’t allow a loss of life for his own safety. If it comes to it, he’d rather reveal himself to Council and deal with whatever consequences that that action comes with.

“Darling, what’s on your mind?” the vampire prompts, scooting forward on the bed until their knees bump against each other. Hakyeon begins to reach forward, hand headed towards his hair, but Taekwoon raises his own hand to grab at the vampire’s wrist. He can’t do with distractions now. “What’s wrong?” the black haired male asks with overflowing concern in his eyes.

“Are you talking about claiming?” the angel asks as he slowly lowers Hakyeon’s hand back onto the bed. Hakyeon nods, eyes wide and the corners of his lips slightly downturned. “I can’t let you do that to save me,” he looks down and shakes his head, finding it hard to maintain eye contact with the vampire. “I can take responsibility for myself instead. I am stronger than vampires so, if they wish to hurt me, they-”

“Don’t say things like that,” Hakyeon cuts him off with a stern voice and places a careful hand at Taekwoon’s chin, prompting him to look up again, “I know things aren’t good right now, but every one of these problems will find its place. Besides, we don’t even know if it will get to that point yet, so just try not to worry if you can.” Hakyeon speaks like he’s so sure of himself, but there are tears brimming in his eyes and his hands are growing shaky in his lap. Taekwoon can barely stand it. “It’s going to be okay. We are swimming, we are-” he tries to speak, but his voice breaks and he looks away from the angel.

Taekwoon realizes, maybe a little too late, that letting Hakyeon cry over these things is unnecessary, especially since he can do something about it now. The angel aimed to save the vampire some grief, and though Hakyeon shut down his grander proposal, he figures he can do something to stop the tears, the tears that he prompted, before they fall. So, he sits up on his knees and leans forward, slinging his arms around Hakyeon’s neck to balance himself, before pressing their lips together. Hakyeon gasps, but quickly sinks into the kiss, hands fisting in the front of the angel’s silk shirt and soft, plush lips molding perfectly around Taekwoon’s.

When Taekwoon pulls away he finds a small smile on Hakyeon’s face, though his eyes are wet, and the vampire mutters a quiet, “Thank you.” Taekwoon just shakes his head and sticks himself in Hakyeon’s lap despite how ridiculous it probably looks. The vampire breathes out a laugh and holds the angel close, but Taekwoon knows it can’t last long, Peace never lasts long here, he has found, and if he can give Hakyeon a few minutes of reprieve he is thankful for that.

“I love you so much,” Hakyeon tells him, lips brushing against the angel’s neck from where the vampire has tucked his head. The words feel like something tangible, something even more tangible the consequences of touch. It feels like a weight pressing against his skin, though, rather than being oppressive it feels more like a strange sort of warmth enveloping him.

“I love you too,” he says, hoping that Hakyeon feels that same divine weight against his skin.

 

\--------

 

“Can I come in for a moment?” Hakyeon asks after interrupting the movie that Jaehwan and Wonshik are watching with a loud knock to the door. Wonshik sighs and doesn’t even bother pausing the movie, planning to fully ignore Hakyeon and all of their problems now that he is safe with Jaehwan. Safe for now, anyway.

He just wanted to escape, to escape into Jaehwan’s scent and the feeling of his cozy presence pressed to the vampire from shoulder to thigh. He knows how bad things are, knows this could all end in an instant, but he has Jaehwan now and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t cherish every second with the witch. He just wants to lie here and pretend things are fine, especially since he doesn’t know when Jaehwan is going to decide to leave. He had said before that he simply goes back to work the night following whatever incident plagues him, and Wonshik can’t necessarily stop him, but he sure wishes he could.

On top of all of that, there is the Taekwoon issue. He had said that he wants to stay here, sort of, but Hakyeon barged in before the angel could say anything else about it. As much as Wonshik dreads the thought of having to hide the angel for the rest of his life, he’d rather deal with that than trying to pick up whatever broken pieces of Hakyeon remain if the winged creature were to leave. He won’t claim to be a master at love, but he knows what the angel means to Hakyeon. Hakyeon loves Taekwoon and Taekwoon loves Hakyeon, so really, now that they’re together and all lovey-dovey, there shouldn't be any problems unless the angel leaves. He can’t exactly demand that the angel stays either, so he supposes he just gets to sit and wait, hoping that he won’t be left behind when Jaehwan grows old with his own prosperous life and Hakyeon crumbles with the loss of his love.

“Kim Wonshik, I heard that sigh,” Hakyeon calls again with that unique motherly tone than he has.

“Stake me,” Wonshik mouths to Jaehwan, who is lying beside him and looking to him with a bright smile on his face and sparkles in his eyes. The human giggles quietly and shakes his head before reaching a hand out to pause the movie that was playing on Hakyeon’s laptop.

Wonshik shakes his head, frantic, but Jaehwan smiles as he calls out to the elder vampire with, “Come in.” The brunette vampire narrows his eyes at the witch, but said witch is unbothered and, instead of doing anything to back down, he just leans in to peck at the vampire’s lips. “You’re dumb,” he whispers with a chuckle.

Hakyeon waltzes in like he owns the place (he does) and sits himself at the end of the bed. He swats at Jaehwan’s feet, as they’re currently taking up the space that Hakyeon wants to sit, which earns him a toe to the ribs that he absolutely deserves. The elder makes a disgusted face, probably just to play along, before clearing his throat and looking to Wonshik. “Minhyuk just called. He said that Ilhoon already went to the shop and returned,” the elder vampire informs.

“What happened?” Jaehwan asks, perking up in his seat and bumping against Wonshik’s shoulder as he adjusts. The vampire takes the human’s higher position as an opportunity to rest his head on the other male’s shoulder. He wouldn’t exactly say it’s comfortable, Jaehwan being thin and bony, but he stays there anyway because it’s _Jaehwan_.

When Wonshik looks back to the elder vampire he finds eyes on him and a grin on his maker’s face that’s just as motherly as the tone he used to scold his child with. Wonshik cringes. Hakyeon looks back to Jaehwan.

“It went well. Ilhoon found blood that he thinks is from one of the hunters. He and the other Council members are going to go out tomorrow night to see if they can sniff the hunters out,” Hakyeon explains.

“Well, that’s good, but what are you not saying?” Jaehwan questions, voice confident and the least bit smug. Wonshik is admittedly lost.

With an apprehensive glance between his child and the human, Hakyeon adds, “They’re taking volunteers for the hunt, but,” he pauses, another glance, “The both of you are staying here. I genuinely do not care whether you like it or not. I am only interested in your safety, so you’ll both stay in this house until I tell you otherwise. Understand?”

“Okay,” Wonshik agrees easily, seeing as he hadn’t been planning to leave anyway. In his opinion, the longer he can stay shut in, and safe, with Jaehwan, the better. Plus, this way Jaehwan can’t run off back to the shop, ever so dauntless in the face of danger.

“That was easier than I thought it was going to be,” Hakyeon says, obviously chipper, and sits up straighter. “Well then, I suppose I should get going. I sent Taekwoon upstairs to play the piano and relax and told him I’d be up after him,” the elder informs, though no one asked. Hakyeon stands and walks over to Wonshik’s side of the bed, much to the younger vampire’s dismay. From there he bends and leans into his child’s ear to whisper, “I’m sorry if I overstepped with Jaehwan.”

For reasons inexplicable for Wonshik, he finds himself blushing, though he knows it’s not from the kiss his maker has just pressed to his temple. Jaehwan hasn’t asked for it and Wonshik has no interest in claiming him, but the vampire must admit, the thought of biting the human seems a lot more enticing now that he has felt the pulse of Jaehwan’s heart under his tongue. This doesn’t change the fact that he wants the human to live, but he thinks fantasies are allowed to be just that, and the idea of Jaehwan belonging to him is such a sweet fantasy indeed.

The sound of the door shutting behind his maker combined with Jaehwan’s hands coming up to cup his face snap him back to reality. “What are you doing?” he asks, still a little out of it and utterly puzzled as to what prompted Jaehwan to now cover his face in kisses, the witch’s plump lips leaving warmth behind as the human pecks at the tip of his nose, his forehead, each of his cheeks.

“Making up for all the times Hakyeon got to kiss you and I didn’t,” Jaehwan answers, somehow smiling and pouting at the same time in the way that only Jaehwan could.

Wonshik smiles, snorting out a laugh as he takes Jaehwan’s face in his own hands and pulls him into a kiss. He’s not one for cheesy sentiments or any sort of Hakyeon dramatics, but he thinks, had he been alive, Jaehwan’s lips on his would make his heart race and force adrenaline to pump through his veins. Jaehwan is life, embodies all the things beautiful and good about mortality. Wonshik would never take that away from him, would rather let his vampiric fantasies be overshadowed by his fantasies about the many places he’ll take the other during his long human life, all the opportunities Hakyeon’s money will offer him. Perhaps he will take Jaehwan to Rome and hire a photographer to follow him around all day so he can see the man shine under the sun.

 

\---------

 

Taekwoon wakes in the middle of the day to the clanging of metal somewhere further into the house. Hakyeon is still asleep, dragged under by what he had referred to as the ‘Call of the Sun’ into a deeper state of sleep than Taekwoon would ever experience. Despite the initial fear that comes with unknown noses in a practically empty house in the middle of the day, the angel is thankful that the vampire is still asleep. He rambled a bit as dawn approached, but eventually gave himself over into sleep, not long before the angel fell asleep himself. Though, now, Taekwoon couldn’t be more awake.

Another sudden clang and Taekwoon hears a relatively familiar voice exclaim, “Shit.”

Jaehwan is awake, he notes, and, after one very long minute of deliberation, he carefully slips out of bed to approach the human. They hadn’t gotten to talk properly earlier and he figures there’s no better time than now, with no interruptions and nothing else to do.

He squints his eyes when he steps out of the room, eyes not used to having the curtains open or being awake in the middle of the day, but he ventures forward, persistent. Though, he doesn’t get more than a few feet out of the room before Jaehwan looks up and gasps, “Oh, Taekwoon, the curtains.” The human runs to the front of the house and pulls the thick curtains closed with more force than necessary, letting out a few heaving breaths once he has successfully shut them out from the outside world, something the angel had nearly forgotten about. Though, he supposes he couldn’t have missed the feeling of sunlight on his skin if it had slipped his mind completely. He’d give up the sun for Hakyeon, a creature who was made for the night, but is luminous and fiery like the bright burning star in the sky.

“Hello,” Taekwoon greets quietly, embarrassed now, both because he actually has to speak and because this is the second time the human has saved him.

“Hi,” Jaehwan responds, cheerful as he walks back to the kitchen, “Gonna keep me company?”

“Sure,” the angel mumbles as he follows the human to the kitchen. There are an assortment of objects on the white marble counter, some pots made out of metal amongst boxes of cardboard and other things he can’t identify. He thinks there will be time to ask about such things later on, so he doesn’t press it. There are other, more important, things that he should be concerning himself with now.

“So,” Jaehwan starts as he flitters around the kitchen, evidently even more familiar with the space than Taekwoon, “I wanted to say thank you personally, like just the two of us. I don’t remember what happened, but Wonshik filled me in and just thank you.” Jaehwan stops to stand beside him then, looks into his eyes with a smile, and, from this distance, it’s much easier to tell that he’s human. His skin is blemished, nearly perfect, but not quite, and there’s a subtle flush to his cheeks that’s not there when it comes to a vampire’s skin. The human is refreshingly imperfect.

“It’s okay-I-You’re welcome,” Taekwoon stumbles over his words once he realizes that he’s probably been staring for far too long to be considered normal. Jaehwan doesn’t seem to mind though, just smiles at the angel’s words before spinning around and returning to his task.

“Well,” the human begins again, this time face the opposite while as he places a pot full of water on the stove, “I don’t know how much you know about the fragility of humans, but I would have woken up and healed on my own with time. It’s better that you healed me though. Wonshik acts like he’s this tough, unbreakable thing with no worries beyond the tasks from Hakyeon, but he’s sensitive. He worries too much and does stupid things and- I don’t know. If you hadn’t healed me, I honestly don’t know how Wonshik would have dealt with it. He’d be broken for a while, I think.”

Taekwoon takes a few moments to take all of this in, their small world from a human’s perspective. Jaehwan isn’t too different from the vampires, nor is he too different from Taekwoon. They want the same things, safety and peace of mind for the ones they love, and they are obviously willing to take risks to get those things. Perhaps Jaehwan is a sinner, but he’s no heathen. He’s just a boy trying his best to keep everything in this fragile dynamic afloat. They are all just swimming, a very Hakyeon sounding voice reminds him.

“Sorry, I’m talking a lot, aren’t I? It doesn’t feel like so much with Wonshik, but you’re quiet,” Jaehwan observes, glancing over his shoulder to give the angel one quick scan. “You’re a little scary, you know?”

“Hakyeon called me incandescent,” the angel replies, probably a bit more defensive than totally necessary.

“What a Hakyeon thing to say,” Jaehwan snorts. Taekwoon holds back a smile at that comment. It is a very Hakyeon thing to say indeed, the vampire being so kind and undeserving of the cruelness he currently has to endure. Whether it be fortunate or unfortunate, it reminds Taekwoon that there was a purpose to coming out here. “Wanna sit with me while I wait for the water to boil?” Jaehwan asks, gesturing towards the large table across the room with a single nod. Taekwoon nods and, again, lets the witch lead.

He finds himself seated in a chair with a tall, rigid back that really does nothing good for his wings and the tile floor is cold under his bare feet, but those are things he can’t allow to distract him right now. Besides, it will only be more uncomfortable if he shifts his wings away anyway.

Once they’ve both settled in their seats, he asks, “Why did you lie to Council earlier? To save me, I know, but why?”

Jaehwan raises his eyebrows at the question, obviously surprised, before lowering them again and humming, “Ah, so this is what Wonshik meant when he said you’re not what someone would expect from an angel.” Taekwoon thinks that is a justified statement, though it does make him a bit uncomfortable. He knows angels are different in the eyes of the uninformed, supposed to be righteous and all-knowing, so he only responds with a nod and waits patiently for the answer to his question. Jaehwan hums again and leans over onto the dark wooden table, resting his chin in the palm of his hands as he says, “Hakyeon loves you, I love Hakyeon, why wouldn’t I save you?”

“But empathy to that extent is-”

“Madness? Of course it is, but let me put it this way, if our positions were reversed, wouldn’t you do the same?” Jaehwan shrugs like it’s the simplest thing in the world and, when he puts it that way, Taekwoon can’t exactly argue. He had already offered to do such a thing, put his life on the line to save Jaehwan’s. Jaehwan’s survival and happiness means Wonshik’s, and Wonshik’s means Hakyeon. Taekwoon would do quite a lot of things to keep the vampire safe and happy. “See? It’s an easy choice to make. Just because I don’t know you yet doesn’t mean I can’t care about you and, besides, if I let Council get their hands on you then I wouldn’t be able to make friends with an angel.”

“I see,” is all Taekwoon has the heart to comment.

The second question he had been wanting to bring up is still sitting at the forefront of his mind, sweet as sin and begging to be asked. Though, he thinks he knows the answer in some respects. Taekwoon has resolved that Jaehwan would let Wonshik claim him if it was something that needed doing to ensure their safety, but does he want to? It is a question conjured partly of curiosity and partly of necessity. Because, if Jaehwan wishes to live just like Wonshik wishes for him, Taekwoon has a very difficult decision to make. Jaehwan’s life or his own?

“Jaehwan,” he speaks, giving into temptations just as he was taught not to, “Would you like to be one of them, a vampire?”

“Oh, we’re getting into the deep stuff now,” Jaehwan chuckles and sits up straighter, obviously uncomfortable despite the smile playing on his lips. The witch looks away towards the window on the wall beside him, eyes roaming over the curtains that leave behind no trace of daytime, not even a mere glimpse of sunlight. “I think I’d miss the sunlight,” the human admits with a crooked, sad grin when he looks back to the angel. “But vampires run hot, they have to since they were made for nighttime, so I think I’d be okay. My family is gone, so there is no one left for me to abandon or outlive if I were immortal. It seems like a natural next step for me, right?” he prompts, but Taekwoon suspects he isn’t actually looking for an answer. The angel’s heart is beating harder than it was just a minute ago and he can’t help holding his breath as he waits for an answer, filled to the brim with anxiety because this one question may decide his fate. Jaehwan is only speaking with ‘what if’s, but it’s not what Taekwoon is looking for. He needs a sure answer from the human before he can find his own. “If I’m lucky, the four of us can live out our nights together until the sun swallows the earth or climate change wipes out humans or whatever. So, yeah, I wouldn’t mind being one of them, but I hope I don’t get turned too old or I’ll be stuck old and wrinkly forever.”

Taekwoon lets out the breath he was holding and looks down to his lap, overwhelmed with a sense of relief. So they’ll live, or rather continue existing in one state or another, and Taekwoon won’t have to leave Hakyeon. They will stay wrapped up in this beautiful madness as long as they choose to be, forever.

“I don’t know how offensive it is for a human to tell an angel what to do, but you should probably go back before Hakyeon wakes up and freaks out again. I’m just gonna eat and wait for that human from Minhyuk’s to bring me my clothes and stuff, so I won’t be out here for much longer either,” Jaehwan suggests, running a hand through his blonde hair and looking towards the pot of water that is still sitting on the stove.

“Yeah, I should go,” Taekwoon nods as he stands up from the chair, finding himself even more tired than he was when he first came out here. Instead of waking him up, the conversation with Jaehwan just drained him, and he wants nothing more than to drape himself over the vampire and sleep. He thinks he will sleep much sounder knowing that he doesn’t have to leave Hakyeon anytime soon, that all these problems can be solved without the loss of love or happiness. Jaehwan wants to be vampire and Taekwoon gets to stay with Hakyeon because of that fact. Things aren’t exactly _good,_ but they are _okay_ , and Taekwoon is thankful for that.

 

When the angel settles back into the vampire’s arms he finds that the other male smells vaguely of the candle that had been burning in his room earlier, maybe their room now, Taekwoon ponders. The candle was named ‘sun-drenched apricot rose’, which the angel complained was too long of a name for a jar of melted wax, but Hakyeon pouted in response and told him not to insult the dignity of his candle collection. Taekwoon puffed out a laugh at that, short and high-pitched and embarrassing, but Hakyeon just giggled along with him. The memory of the events of a few hours ago have him smiling even now and he hugs the vampire a little tighter as he closes his eyes. If he spends forever like this it may even feel too short.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked this chapter,, im sorry if you suffered 
> 
> comments, kudos, dms, anything, are v v appreciated !! thank you all sm for reading i really thought this fic would have like one reader and it would be out of pity, but this is wild so thank you v much !!
> 
> twitter- @hunscafe


	18. Night 18 - Alaska or Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual forgive typos or just roast me so i can go back and fix them ig

\---------

Hakyeon wakes early, not wanting a repeat of the previous night. He hated the helpless feeling that ran through his veins when he woke to find Taekwoon missing and immediately decided that he never wanted to feel that way again. He never wants to leave the angel’s side if he can help it, or at least never wants to worry about being separated from him. So, Hakyeon set an alarm for the brink of dusk and found himself deeply regretting his design choices when his eyes burned at the sight of the red glow seeping through the curtains. Normal people don’t have black-out curtains in every room of their house, he had said, and what a fool he had been. 

He mustered through the simmering under his skin and the pain thumping in his head in order to get some chores done. He had considered staying in bed and just basking in the angel’s presence, but figured, as nice and as self-indulgent as that would be, that the feeling of helplessness wouldn’t go away if he did that. Instead, he washed Jaehwan’s dirty dishes, packed him some snacks for the night, did the laundry, moved Taekwoon’s clothes from the guest bedroom to the one they now share, stared at the dent in the wall before deciding that he’d just hire someone to fix that later, etc. He’d count it as quite a productive few hours, but still, when he settles back into his room, he feels just as helpless as he did before. 

He absolutely despises it, feeling helpless and knowing that it’s not just baseless anxiety. There is truly nothing he can do to mend this situation. He had known it before, that both the hunters and Council are outside his realm of influence, but it has really set in now. He has to accept that fact whether he likes it or not. He can’t break down again and expect the angel to build him back up with a kiss and some pretty words, it’s just not an option. He’s supposed to be the strong one, supposed to know everything and, if he doesn’t, he’s at least supposed to pretend he does. He suspects he abandoned his title of ‘the strong one’ a while ago though, probably around the time that Wonshik ran out on him and he did nothing about it. Hell, he even had Taekwoon ready to reveal himself to Council because Hakyeon is weak and doesn’t have a solution to their problems. 

He takes a deep breath despite the lack of any real need to breathe and crawls onto the bed beside the angel. After propping himself up against the headboard, the vampire runs a hand through Taekwoon’s hair, brushing the silky white strands out of his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispers to the sleeping angel, “I’ll do better.” Taekwoon doesn’t respond, of course, just continues puffing out soft breaths into the space between the two males with his cheek smushed against his pillow instead of Hakyeon’s chest for once and his wings lying limp on the mattress behind him. Looking at the angel now, he can’t fathom how he let himself stoop so low, made the angel feel like he was the one who had to care for the vampires. 

Hakyeon will do better, he promises himself. He can’t fix everything, but he will do what he can, may that be simply comforting those around him or picking up his life and running away with it, moving his family to some place where Council isn’t as present, like Alaska or something. He does despise the cold though, so he’s not exactly sure how well that would work. 

His phone rings, loud as ever in the quiet room, and he practically leaps off the bed to get it. “Minhyuk, hi,” he whispers in an attempt not to wake the sleeping angel, though from the way Taekwoon’s heartbeat jumped, Hakyeon suspects he is already awake. “Sorry about the whispering, Wonshik is still asleep,” he explains as he glances back to the angel. Taekwoon rolls over onto his back, pouting when his wings disturb the blankets, and rubs his eyes with the backs of his hands. 

Yeah, Hakyeon will do better, he nods to himself and turns his attention back to the call. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Taekwoon asks once Hakyeon hangs up and sets his phone aside. The vampire shakes his head and sits at the end of the bed. Nothing is wrong, in fact. The call from Minhyuk was just to inform him that Council had set out to hunt with a few stray vampires and employees from the feeder house. Minhyuk had also told him that Eunkwang would be staying in town to help with everything as well, which meant more lying for Hakyeon, but less work. He wasn’t sure if that was favorable exactly, but it meant things would be okay and taken care of, and, even if they weren’t, he’d pretend they were. Faking it beats breaking down again and looking as weak as he just may be. 

“What shall we do tonight, Darling?” Hakyeon asks, looking back over his shoulder to face the angel. Taekwon shrugs and crawls down the bed, stopping behind the vampire to rest his chin on the shoulder of the black haired male. Their faces are close, close enough that Hakyeon can feel the angel’s breath fanning over his lips, and their noses bump with the close proximity. Taekwoon’s eyes travel to his lips and, as much as Hakyeon wants to indulge him with a kiss, he doesn’t want to misread the signs and overstep any boundaries. The vampire chuckles instead and leaves a kiss on the tip of the angel’s nose before pulling away. “We have a lot of time to do nothing besides sit around and wait for news tonight, so what shall we do? Play piano? Watch a drama? Go online shopping?”

“Talk to Jaehwan,” Taekwoon fills in.

Hakyeon looks down, finding himself more than a little disappointed, but he doesn’t let it show. Instead, he smiles and nods, silently assuring the angel that that’s something they can do. It’s not like he doesn’t want the other male to get close with Jaehwan and Wonshik, but as it turns out, Hakyeon is quite selfish. He wanted to spend the night with the angel for the sake of his own sanity, but if the angel wishes to spend the night musing about human things with Jaehwan, who is Hakyeon to stop him?

“He wants to be a vampire,” Taekwoon adds, replacing Hakyeon’s disappointment with utter confusion. “Or, he’s comfortable with the thought at least. I think you should talk to Wonshik.”

“Where is this coming from, Darling?” Hakyeon asks, both because he’s simply curious and because he’s genuinely concerned about how the angel got the information and how heavily it has been weighing on his mind. 

“Jaehwan accidentally woke me up during the day, so we talked a bit. He said he wouldn’t mind being one of them, one of you, but Wonshik said before that he wants Jaehwan to live, so,” Taekwoon pauses, looking away, “I don’t know what I can do to help them anymore.”

Hakyeon grins at that, even though he probably shouldn’t, should probably be worriedly frowning. He’s just glad that Taekwoon has abandoned the idea of taking Jaehwan’s place in the devilish grip of Council. “Okay,” he chirps, tone lighter now, “I’ll talk to Wonshik when I have the chance and we will work things out, okay?”

“Okay,” the angel murmurs with a nod.

“What else did you guys talk about while I was sleeping? Did Jaehwan say anything weird?”

“He called me scary,” Taekwoon informs before pausing just to make a small ‘hmph’ noise in the direction of the bedroom door, “And, earlier, he told me he could do research on angels and asked me how I like this realm.” Taekwoon trails off with a nervous glance to the vampire, just a mere moment’s worth of eye contact, but Hakyeon catches it and takes concern. 

“And how do you like it, this realm?” Hakyeon asks, disgustingly hopeful, as he slips his hand into the angel’s and gives it one quick squeeze. The angel looks down at their entwined fingers and flushes to the tips of his ears, which would be adorable if Hakyeon weren’t still so puzzled. He doesn’t know why Taekwoon is so embarrassed, perhaps it’s just because he’s  _ Taekwoon _ , and he can’t help worrying despite there being any real reason to. The white-haired male is just shyer than most, he tells himself, and prompts the angel to continue with a short, stilted hum. 

“I-I like it. I told him that staying has crossed my mind,” the angel confesses with a racing heart and an unsteady gaze set on Hakyeon’s face. 

Had Hakyeon been alive, he’s sure his heart would have leapt at that. He knows he shouldn’t get carried away, shouldn’t get his hopes up before anything is confirmed, but it’s hard not to. He has been constantly worrying about forever, yearning for it, and it’s hard not to get excited when the potential of it has been placed just within his reach. He doesn’t know what he will have to acquire, sure safety, more money, a new home, the heads of the hunters on a stick, anything, he’d get it if it meant that the angel decided to stay. 

“Hakyeon,” the angel breathes out, insecure. 

The vampire snaps back to reality, eyes coming into focus again, and leans down to peck at the angel’s forehead. “If you’d like to stay, Darling, I’d love to have you for as long as you feel like being here, really. Say the word and we’ll make plans, okay? We’ll make plans that don’t involve hiding you away in this house every night. We’d find a way, maybe somewhere far away from here,” Hakyeon tells the angel, a voice in his own head reminds him of ‘Alaska or something’. He desperately hopes that the promise of plans, of something set in stone, will be enough to hold the angel’s interest for the time being. 

“Okay,” Taekwoon repeats, just a barely-there breath that Hakyeon wouldn’t have caught had he not been paying such close attention. The vampire puffs out a quiet laugh out of giddiness and embarrassment, then runs a hand through his hair.

“Okay,” he says, a mirror of the angel, “Thank you for sharing that with me, Darling. I’m sure it must have been hard on you.” Taekwoon shrugs at that, looking impossibly small with his broad shoulders and the large expanse of wings spread out behind his back. “You’re so strong, Taekwoonie. You have no idea how much I love you, would love you even if you weren’t this strong,” he says as he brings a hand up to cup the angel’s cheek.

A smile finally breaches the other male’s nervous expression, a soft, high sound escaping his lips as he looks down to their clasped hands again. “I love you too,” Taekwoon replies, returning the squeeze that the vampire gave to his hand earlier. He finally looks up to Hakyeon again, leaning in and tilting his chin up just the slightest bit. The vampire can’t help sputtering out another giggle before he leans in the rest of the way, finally pressing his lips to the angel’s. 

 

\----------

 

Taekwoon thinks he enjoys the act of watching Hakyeon ramble to himself about prices, fashion, and whatever other miscellaneous rants the vampire decides to go on, more than he enjoys online shopping. Sure, the internet and such human things are interesting, but he is an angel with actual magic and everlasting life. Plus, seeing Hakyeon pretend to punch the screen of the laptop, the one he had to sneak into Wonshik’s room to reclaim, with his small fists and a pout on his face because, “Who cares if it’s a woman’s ring? It would look pretty on my Taekwoonie’s fingers,” is much more entertaining. 

It’s not like the angel is completely zoned out either; He still has things to learn after all. He has learned that clothes and jewelry have nothing to do with gender and that sometimes people add -ie to the end of names as a sign of affection. There’s no real meaning or thought behind it, but Taekwoon can agree that it’s quite endearing. 

Still though, even as he’s enjoying his time observing the antics of a more relaxed Hakyeon and the fact that he hasn’t had to get up from bed at all, he can’t help feeling a bit lost in it all. How is the same Hakyeon that cried on his shoulder the previous night the same one that, seemingly, couldn’t be more content now? The vampire seemed as if he had all the worries in the world lying solely on him alone the previous night, but now he is happily scrolling through different web pages in search of whatever jewelry he thinks would suit the angel the best. Taekwoon doesn’t quite understand the change. 

He knows Hakyeon was happy to hear that Taekwoon, perhaps, wants to stay, but there are other things to still be concerned about. The fate of Jaehwan, for one, and what Wonshik has to say about that. Then there are the other, more obvious problems that are so large and prevalent that they may as well be sharing the bed with the two males. There is no sense in ignoring them, or at least Taekwoon doesn’t think so. If there is a threat to yourself and the ones you love, shouldn’t all of your time revolve around searching for some kind of solution? According to Jaehwan, the line between empathy and madness is one easily ignored, so why is such a thing being regarded now, when the situation is only getting more dire as time goes on?

Hakyeon turns his head suddenly, making eye contact with the angel with an expression of bewilderment on his face, probably puzzled as to why Taekwoon is staring so closely at him instead of the screen. His eyes quickly crinkle into a smile though, and he tips forward to lightly bump his forehead with that of the white-haired male before speaking. “You’re very cute, but I asked you something, Darling. Didn’t you hear me?” the vampire asks, still chipper as ever as he looks back to the laptop. 

“What did you ask?” Taekwoon asks, following Hakyeon’s eyes and trying to focus even though he just really  _ doesn’t get it.  _

“I know we settled on yellow gold and rose gold, but I think you’d look quite nice with silver. Could we try white gold? It can be a bit more expensive, but silver burns my skin and I don’t plan on keeping my distance,” he requests, obvious amusement in his tone as he says that last part, like he finds himself oh-so-clever. Hakyeon looks back at him, this time with a toothy smile, and Taekwoon can’t help the way the corners of his lips quirk up despite himself.

“White gold sounds pretty,” he agrees and does his best to glue his eyes to the screen. It’s hard to think straight with Hakyeon grinning so prettily at him like that, he finds, as the rose gold color appears on his cheeks instead of his fingers.

The vampire relents after a few moments and they fall into a comfortable silence, but it doesn’t last very long before Hakyeon asks, “What had you so distracted?” 

“You,” Taekwoon admits too quickly for it  _ not  _ to be embarrassing. Hakyeon did ask though, and the curiosity is getting the better of the angel.

“Me? What about me?” the vampire questions, that twinge of amusement returning to his tone. Taekwoon suspects he is going to be disappointed with the answer that comes.

“Last night you were upset, but now you’re happy. I don’t understand.”

Hakyeon stills for a mere moment, that specific sort of rigidness that comes with the undead, before setting the laptop aside and turning his body more towards the angel. His knees knock against the angel’s thigh, but neither of them pay it much attention, and he looks to Taekwoon with an apologetic expression. “You know, last night made me realize I’ve been  _ slacking _ , to put it lightly. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself because of all the things I can’t fix that I ignored the things that I could do. You know, like sitting here, just spending time with you and distracting the both of us from everything, that’s something I can do,” he explains, perking up with the last sentence and swiping Taekwoon’s bangs behind his ear, “So, I told myself I’d do better and that’s what I’m trying to do. I should probably be a better host if I’m trying to convince you to stay.” Hakyeon finishes with a self-pitying chuckle. 

Taekwoon merely nods in response, having nothing more to say to that, and feels his cheeks grow hot at the sudden mention of his confession. The vampire’s brief explanation makes enough sense, allowing yourself to let go of the things that are out of your reach anyway. Part of Taekwoon thinks he should take a note from Hakyeon and do the same, if only because he still can’t be sure if all of this will bring an end to them. The time they have, they should enjoy, he thinks, and lifts a hand to rest atop Hakyeon’s on the bed. Hakyeon makes it look so easy. 

“I really do love you, you know?” the vampire prompts, looking into the angel’s eyes like he means so much more than the few words he says. Taekwoon thinks he understands, because he feels the same. When the angel tells the vampire he loves him, he means a lot more than just that; He means all the things it probably wouldn’t be appropriate to blurt out at random, all the feelings he can’t put it into words, and all the more. 

So, Taekwoon responds a bit timidly, “I know. I love you too, you know?”

“I know, Darling. I-” 

The phone rings. Hakyeon sighs, pulling his hand out from under Taekwoon’s in order to lean back and grab his cell phone. The angel slouches back into the headboard, his wings smushed uncomfortably behind him, and watches as the vampire lifts the phone to his ear. 

Taekwoon doesn’t bother attempting to listen to the voice in the phone, would probably only be able to hear muffled static anyway, and just observes the vampire’s one-sided conversation. There is the usual politeness and short greetings that the angel doesn’t quite pay attention to, but before long it becomes difficult to ignore the vampire’s voice. 

“Wait, really?” Hakyeon practically shouts, shooting straight up in bed with wide eyes even though his gaze is only set on the blank wall ahead of him. “God, finally, Council actually doing their jobs for once. What has changed since they got here?” he adds and, in contrast to his spoken words, he doesn’t seem all that annoyed. 

Hakyeon seems excited, or just happy, or comforted, Taekwoon isn’t sure. The angel himself perks up, leaning forward like the mere six inches he has moved will help him hear anything or understand the situation. 

It doesn’t.

“Ah right, blood, blood and shame,” Hakyeon resolves with a laugh. 

Before long, the black haired male says his ‘thank you’s over the phone along with a rushed ‘yeah, right, I’ll talk to Jae’ before ending the call and tossing his phone to the end of the bed. Taekwoon sees it bounce to the floor out of the corner of his eye, but the vampire doesn’t acknowledge it. “They got one, Taekwoonie. One of the monsters that killed two vampires and hurt Jae is dead,” he announces, overjoyed, and jumps out of bed to pace the room in his ecstatic state.

Taekwoon’s lips part, but words seem to be failing him, so he just stares back at the vampire in shock. It was the outcome that they had all wanted and hoped for, but now that it is here Taekwoon doesn’t know how to react. He is happy, of course, how could he not be when justice has been served? Well, served partly anyway. Taekwoon is  _ happy _ and he’s a bit scared of that fact. A human has died and he feels nothing but relief. Perhaps simply letting go of his worries is going to be much harder than he had previously thought. 

“I’m just so glad that we are one step closer to being done with all of this. It is indecent, vulgar, I know, but that human was dangerous. He and his group killed two vampires, probably many more, and beat Jaehwan unconscious. The world will not suffer from their loss,” Hakyeon adds as if he could sense the angel’s unease. “You okay, Darling?” he questions, pausing his pacing in the middle of the carpeted floor.

“Yeah, it’s just a lot to take in,” Taekwoon tells him, purposefully vague. The vampire is right, he knows that, and he figures he will come around to the logic soon enough. It’s not quite as simple as questioning a difference in emotions either, so even if he doesn’t come around, he doubts he will find the courage to question the vampire about it. 

“Okay, well, I have to go talk to Wonshik and Jaehwan, but I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?”

“Okay,” Taekwoon nods mindlessly as Hakyeon skips out of the room. He doesn’t mind being left alone for a short time like this usually, but it has become much harder now that he must configure the worth of a human’s life. 

 

\-----------

 

Wonshik barely has the chance to be happy when Hakyeon tells him a hunter is dead because he is too concerned with Jaehwan’s lack of enthusiasm and the way his heart is racing. Wonshik watches as the human takes a few deep breaths and laser focuses on the blank wall beside him, his heartbeat slowing down to his original pace. The vampire is used to Taekwoon’s heart rate speeding up even at the smallest things, has begun to tune it out even, but Jaehwan has a probably-abnormal amount of control over his body. His heart doesn’t usually race when he is frightened, but here it is and here they are. Wonshik can only feel dread. 

“Why am I the only one excited about this, seriously?” Hakyeon sputters, standing in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips. He looks a bit ridiculous, standing there so pridefully in his night clothes while Wonshik stands awkwardly beside the open closet and Jaehwan is still in bed with ruffled hair. “What’s wrong, Jae? Did the blood thing freak you out?”

Jaehwan looks to Hakyeon then, pale-faced and obviously unsettled despite the way he holds his head high and shoulders straight, and says, “I have to go.” Wonshik doesn’t know what the fuck that means, so he opens his mouth to ask such a question, but Jaehwan continues before he gets the chance. “You said they had my blood in a vial. Did they notice anything else about it?” he asks as he looks to Hakyeon, trying and failing not to sound somber.

“They, uh, apparently, Ilhoon said he could barely identify your blood over the smell of tobacco. He was probably just a smoker, Jaehwan, I don’t think they were up to anything magical. You’ll be okay,” Hakyeon assures, seemingly puzzled.

At the mention of tobacco, Wonshik stills. There aren’t many spells that use tobacco, and there is only one that combines it with blood, a tracking spell. It’s not the most effective thing in the world, no glowing maps or magical ushers that appear to take you where you need to go, just a very literal game of hot or cold. If you’re closer to the person you’re tracking then the vial grows warm, but when further away it gets colder. It isn’t too effective, but it has worked in the past, and it will work with Jaehwan. 

“No, he’s right,” Wonshik speaks up, prompting Jaehwan’s lips to part when he looks back to the younger vampire, an expression of betrayal on his face. The younger vampire realizes his mistake then and hurries to clarify, “ _ We _ have to go. We need to find somewhere safe because, even if Taekwoon wasn’t here, it’s just too unguarded. We have to find somewhere else.”

“I agree,” Hakyeon cuts in, though Wonshik wasn’t exactly looking for his opinion. 

This is something that needs to happen, with or without Hakyeon’s blessing. If there is a threat, they need to go, but maybe not tonight. Leaving now without plans or bags thoroughly packed by his maker (okay, so maybe he needs Hakyeon) could end up worse than things already are. Even so, it can’t be later than tomorrow night. That would just be giving them too much time. 

“Staying with Minhyuk seems like our best option right now. We know he has the extra room considering the lack of clients and we know the hunters know better than to go after that large of a target. If they wanted to start a war between themselves and the feeder house directly they would have killed the vampires that were with Jaehwan, surely,” Hakyeon explains with confidence. It’s strange to see Hakyeon so- so in his element after a little while of him seeming lost. Wonshik knows the elder has been trying to lead, doing his best to seem like he has all of his shit together, but it hasn’t been so convincing. It’s comforting, seeing the old Hakyeon in action, and he wonders if he should thank Taekwoon for it. “Not tonight though, there’s no time tonight. I’ll have to talk to Minhyuk and he’ll have to make some arrangements of his own. Would that be alright? How fast does this spell work?” 

“Tomorrow night is good,” Wonshik agrees with a nod.

“No,” Jaehwan shakes his head, prompting the two vampires to look to him again, “No, I appreciate it, but if they’re tracking me because they correctly assumed that I’m under the protection of vampires and they want to kill you, then you’re not coming with me. Even if they’re just looking for more information, it’s dangerous. The feeder house may be safe, but how long would it stay that way if I were there? I’ll go home and layer protection spells and I’ll be fine.”

“It’s admirable, but it’s not happening, Jae. I don’t wish to control you or overstep yours or Wonshik’s boundaries, but I won’t risk losing you over something so foolish,” Hakyeon speaks up in place of Wonshik. It’s probably for the better, Wonshik thinks, because anything that comes out of his mouth wouldn’t be as tasteful as the elder’s words. He loves Jaehwan, would never want to hurt him, but the urge to call him an idiot is overwhelming. Hakyeon is right, Minhyuk’s place is the best option. It’s too large of a target for now-four hunters to take on, even with whatever magic they have. Jaehwan going home alone to basically just wait to be attacked is absolutely inane. 

“Please, Hakyeon,” Jaehwan pleads, heart rate starting to pick up again. Wonshik finally, probably after too long, moves from his place next to the closet and crawls across the bed to get to Jaehwan until he is practically in the human’s lap. He throws his arms over the human’s shoulders and pulls him into a hug, fully aware that he’ll be embarrassed about it later, but not much caring at the moment. “Wonshik, I have to go,” he whispers solemnly into the vampire’s ear from where his head lies on the human’s shoulder. 

“I’ll go with you,” Wonshik insists, desperate, “I don’t want to lose you, Jae. I can’t.”

Jaehwan lets out a shaky breath as he wraps his arms around the vampire, before murmuring out an, “Okay.” The vampire smiles, hugging the human even tighter and breathing in his comforting scent as he presses a kiss to Jaehwan’s neck.

Then, suddenly, there is another set of arms enveloping them and a contented hum coming from his maker. With one arm wrapped around Wonshik and the other wrapped around Jaehwan, Hakyeon says, “I love you two. You’re so cute.”

Wonshik decides he is not going to thank Taekwoon after all. Their love has made so many problems, this being one of them. 

 

\-------

 

“I’m sorry, Darling. I didn’t think tonight would be so hectic. Tomorrow will be better. I just have to get up a bit early to send them off,” Hakyeon says once he finally gets a chance to sit after making call after call to Minhyuk and Eunkwang, talking through things with Wonshik and Jaehwan, helping Wonshik tidy his messy room so he could actually find things to pack, etc. It’s been tiring for himself, but he feels worse for Taekwoon. 

The angel couldn’t really do much the entire night. Hakyeon gave him the option of pretty much following him around while he shuffled around the house trying to do 10 things at once, but he didn’t think that would be very entertaining and, apparently, Taekwoon didn’t either because he denied the offer. The angel mostly stayed in their shared bedroom for the night, watching movies and occasionally peeking out to check on how things were doing. 

The vampire could sense that he felt off, especially with some of the looks that he was shooting Hakyeon that reminded the vampire all too much of a child who just wanted their parent, but Hakyeon was continuously getting distracted by other things he had to do. He couldn’t tell how serious it was either, not coming from the angel. Perhaps he was just bored or still embarrassed about his confession from the beginning of the night, or perhaps the death of a human was burdening him. Whatever it may be, Hakyeon has promised himself that he will give all of his attention to it tomorrow once the other pair have left. 

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon assures as he sits up. He watches Hakyeon intently as he waits for the vampire to lie down and slip under the covers, probably just so he can lie himself on top of the latter. Hakyeon rushes to take his earring out and set it on the bedside table before getting into bed in his silk pajama set. Taekwoon cuddles up to him almost immediately afterward, lying his head down on the vampire’s chest and sneaking his hand into Hakyeon’s warmer one. 

Taekwoon’s eyes are already closed when the vampire looks down to him, face illuminated by the weak light from the bedside table. His eyelashes are casting a shadow on his cheeks and the moisture of his lips is catching the light perfectly, the perfect visage of an angel. Hakyeon feels himself smile and he pets a hand through the angel’s hair, almost expecting him to purr like the kitten he so closely resembles. He doesn’t, unfortunately. Still, Hakyeon is endeared, so he gently pats the underneath of Taekwoon’s chin, silently prompting the angel to open his eyes and look up.

“Hm?” Taekwoon hums, wide-eyed and curious as he lifts his head from Hakyeon’s chest. 

Hakyeon pouts and taps his lips with a single fingertip, obviously not taking himself seriously so as not to pressure the angel. The angel’s face turn the same shade as his lips, but, despite the embarrassment burning in his cheeks, he leans up to peck at the vampire’s lips. It’s only one beat before he is pulling away and collapsing back onto Hakyeon’s chest, obviously dying of embarrassment. Taekwoon fists his hands into the vampire’s pajama top in a poor attempt to hide himself and the tips of his ears are still visible, not-so-proudly displaying their bright pink color. “My sweet darling,” Hakyeon hums, amused and more content than he has any right to be.

With an embarrassed sigh, Taekwoon lifts his head and leans in for a second kiss. He lingers for a bit longer this time, allowing Hakyeon to actually kiss him back and relish in the feeling. Taekwoon’s lips are ever so soft and warm, in contrast to his cold hands which are still heavy against the raven-haired male’s pecs, and the potential of eternity tastes like sugar on his lips. They have kissed a few times by now, but each time somehow manages to make him feel just as giddy and as loved as the first. 

“Thank you,” Taekwoon breathes out once he pulls away. Hakyeon isn’t sure what he is being thanked for though, and the way the angel lies down again, head facing away from the vampire’s curious gaze, doesn’t exactly invite questions. For those reasons, the vampire doesn’t question him. Instead, he just reaches out to turn the lamp off and closes his eyes as he rests an arm across the angel’s waist. 

Just a little while longer, he tells himself, hopeful, just a little while of chaos and danger longer and they’ll be okay. Wonshik and Jaehwan are happily together despite everything against them, as are Taekwoon and Hakyeon, and once this is over, they’ll actually be able to enjoy each other. Perhaps they’ll go to a cabin out in the woods so the human and the angel can safely enjoy the sun while the vampires are sleeping. There is such a bright future ahead of them and, as horrible and as stressful as it is, Hakyeon thinks it will all be worth it in the long run. He has a good feeling about the future, or maybe he’s still just high on happiness from the kiss. Either way, he can’t wait to show Taekwoon how beautiful life can be when there aren’t hunters or Council looking over your shoulder. Alaska or something, he sighs silently to himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have nothing intelligent to say, but i hope you enjoyed// suffered w me and thank you for reading !! 
> 
> kudos, comments, dms, literally anything is v e r y appreciated 
> 
> twitter: @hunscafe


	19. Night 18- For You, Darling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't want to give any spoilers, but trigger warnings are more important than the plot of my shitty fic so,,
> 
> TW for violence and death
> 
> please don't read if you're not comfortable !! if needed you can dm me on twitter and i will give you a pg summary of the chapter !!!
> 
> twitter- @hunscafe

Hakyeon isn’t sure why he expected anything responsible, or just anything in general, from his child. He woke up early as he had planned, headed to Wonshik’s room to wake the couple up and live through the horror of ripping the blankets off of them to find Jaehwan bottomless (Jaehwan didn’t seem to mind, though Wonshik did), and set off to do chores. He did Jaehwan’s dishes again, did more laundry, got himself dressed in a nice knit sweater, laid out the angel’s outfit, before he went to check on the couple again. By then, it was nearing their arranged time for pickup, so they were expected to be up and dressed at the very least, but neither of them were, much to Hakyeon’s dismay.

So, they’re running late.

After a slightly shameful call to Minhyuk, he storms back into Wonshik’s room to find yet another disappointing scene. Wonshik is shoving clothes, ones that Hakyeon _just_ pulled out of the dryer and folded, into a small Louis Vuitton bookbag in the least dignified way the elder imagines you could act around multi-thousand dollar accessory. “Ah, yes, my legacy, my only child, what a mistake I have made,” he sighs, still standing in the doorway because he hasn’t quite convinced himself to enter the room yet. Wonshik scoffs at him as he raises his eyes from the bag. “All of that isn’t going to fit in there,” Hakyeon informs, though he suspects Wonshik had already made that discovery himself and was just denying reality in favor of showing off his name brand bag. “Also, are you packing yours and Jaehwan’s stuff together?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I? It’s all going to the same place,” Wonshik remarks, shooting Hakyeon a look that reads ‘what is it this time?’. As capable and as prideful as Wonshik is, Hakyeon doubts he’d survive a week without his maker’s nagging.

“Because it’s going to be impossible to find anything, especially with the way you’re packing,” the elder vampire remarks, earning a muffled laugh from Jaehwan, who has been diligently going through the bathroom to gather whatever toiletries they’ll need for their trip. “I think our duffle bags are still at the back of my closet from our last trip. I’ll just go get those. I’ll be right back.”

Hakyeon turns on his heel and flickers out the door, ignoring Wonshik’s protest of, “But those ones are ugly.” Wonshik will be thankful for it later. 

The vampire flickers into his own room, being unnaturally speedy just because he can, and startles when he sees Taekwoon’s hand move out of the corner of his eye. He jumps in place and pauses to get a steadier visual on the angel. The angel’s heartbeat is still in a restful state, though he has moved to lie on his stomach since the vampire was last in here and his fingers just twitched against Hakyeon’s pillow. “Hakyeon,” is barely audible from the paler male’s lips, more like it’s being pulled through the air by a summer night’s breeze rather than truly being spoken.

“I’m here, Darling,” he whispers back, moving to stand at Taekwoon’s side of the bed so he can stand over the other male and place a gentle hand at the small of his back. “You can sleep. I’m just helping Wonshik with a few things before they leave. Go back to sleep, Honey,” Hakyeon tells him in a gentle voice. 

Taekwoon shakes his head so subtly against his own pillow that it leaves Hakyeon wondering if it was even intentional, but moments later he breathes out a small, “No.” He manages to lift his head and turn it to face Hakyeon, though his eyes are barely open and, even if he were fully awake, he wouldn’t be able to see the black haired male through the darkness in the room. “-Wanna go- You,” is all that is audible of his next statement, just enough to be decently comprehensible.

“Okay,” Hakyeon concedes with a hum, rubbing his back softly as he leans down to leave a kiss in the angel’s hair. “Let me get the bags from my closet and I’ll carry you, okay? I know you’re sleepy.” Taekwoon returns his hum as a response, though it’s only a single stilted note that’s really more like a grunt. Hakyeon doubts the angel could even mentally grasp a word out of the vampire’s mouth. He can only laugh as he leaves Taekwoon to dig the blue and black duffel bags out of the depths of his mostly-organized closet. 

He emerges again after a minute or two and holds back a laugh when he finds Taekwoon fully sitting up and fully asleep, head hanging down between his broad shoulders and one wing lying partly off the side of the bed. He wonders if he should just lie the angel down and let him sleep considering that, even with the time that has passed since Hakyeon himself woke up, it is still quite early. Though Taekwoon, for one reason or another, seems like he wants to cling to Hakyeon tonight and Hakyeon can’t exactly complain about that. 

“Hey, Taekwoonie,” he prompts quietly as he places the bags at the end of the bed in order to free his hands. Taekwoon lifts his head abruptly, though his eyes don’t open as easily, and it reminds the vampire so much of his child. “Oh, Darling, you’re going to fall asleep in Wonshik’s room,” Hakyeon comments, lifting the angel’s head further up with his palms cupping his pale cheeks. 

“I won’t,” Taekwoon mumbles, finally opening his eyes and looking lost amongst the black of the night. His eyes are wide, pupils blown due to the darkness, as they search for Hakyeon’s face through the darkness. Though it is adorable, he can’t imagine it would be a good feeling, so he removes his palms fromTaekwoon’s face and reaches down to hold his hands instead, bringing them up to his own face so the angel can find him. “Good evening, Hakyeonnie,” Taekwoon greets in a sleepy voice that’s even sweeter than a baker’s blood; Hakyeon would know. 

“Good evening,” Hakyeon responds, positively beaming at the angel whose eyelids are already growing heavy again. “Why are you so sleepy?” the vampire asks with a chuckle as he slides his fingers from Taekwoon’s fingers to his face again, carefully clearing the small bit of goop in the corner of his eye. The angel only scrunches his nose and shrugs in response, so Hakyeon just leaves it at that.

He needs to return to Wonshik and Jaehwan, get them packed, and send them out. They’re already late and it’s not going to help if he spends his time dilly-dallying with the angel. He will have plenty of time for that later, he tells himself as he bends down to press a kiss to the white hair below him.

“Come here, I’ll carry you on my back,” he says as he pulls out of Taekwoon’s grip in order to turn around. He’d rather carry the angel in a more comfortable way, perhaps cart him through Wonshik’s door like a man with his wife on their wedding night, though his wings would be quite the obstacle. There is also the fact that if he were to carry the angel on his front his vision would most likely be blocked and that just wouldn't go well for either of them. Hence, the childish act of a piggyback ride. 

“But-”

“It’s okay. You’re tired and I’m strong,” the vampire assures, squatting down and patting his own back to both lead the angel and to prompt him, “Put your arms around my neck and I’ll lift you, okay?”

He can hear Taekwoon puff out an embarrassed sigh, but the angel still grips onto Hakyeon’s shoulders and gets on his knees on the bed. It’s easy to slip his hands to the back of Taekwoon’s thighs and hoist him up onto his own back once the angel hangs his arms loosely around the vampire’s neck. He’s heavier than Hakyeon had anticipated, but the vampire supposes wings and feathers can be deceiving in that way. Still, he’s no harder to carry thanks to Hakyeon’s vampiric strength, so Hakyeon scoops up the duffel bag and hangs it on his arm before starting his walk to his child’s room.

He’s sure they look strange, Taekwoon being taller, broader, and an owner of wings, but he thinks it’s cute. He can’t help smiling when the angel is nuzzling his neck so cutely and clinging to him like he’s never been carried before. That thought makes Hakyeon a bit sad, but he doubts there’d be any pleasure for either of them in piggybacking the angel around the house for no real reason just so the vampire can ensure he gets babied enough. Ridiculous, really. 

Of course, they draw looks from both Wonshik and Jaehwan when they enter, confirming Hakyeon’s suspicions that they do indeed look strange. Hakyeon ignores them, hoping Taekwoon does as well, as he walks over to Wonshik’s futon that hasn’t actually been used in months if the pile of clothes that Hakyeon had cleared from it the previous night is any indication. He sets the angel down there instead of on the bed because he highly doubts it is any sort of sanitary after whatever unholy activities went down there the past few nights. Taekwoon sits down and pulls his legs up, scrunching his large body into such a small space and slipping his hand into the elder vampire’s.

A dramatic sigh from Jaehwan calls for his attention and he looks over to find the human looking longingly at the bag of unnaturally orange cheese puffs in his lap. “If only my boyfriend would give me cute piggyback rides when I’m tired instead of keeping me up with his adorable snoring,” he sighs even more dramatically, obviously only saying it to tease Wonshik rather than actually being annoyed. The witch pouts, shooting a sad look in the younger vampire’s direction, before looking back down at his snacks. 

“Wait, we are boyfriends?” Wonshik says, jumping up from his spot on the floor where he was still fighting with his bookbag and flickering across the room to Jaehwan. 

“Well, are you telling any other cute boys you love them?” the witch asks, prompting the younger vampire to shake his head. “Not even Hakyeon?”

“Wait, you think Hakyeon is a cute boy?” Wonshik pouts. Jaehwan just chuckles and throws a stale puff at his boyfriend’s head. Hakyeon can only sigh.

“You know for two people who were so worried about getting away from here you don’t seem to be in any real rush tonight; One example of this being the full cheese puff that is now on the floor I just vacuumed last night,” Hakyeon comments, glaring down at the aforementioned litter. Both Jaehwan and Wonshik seem to shrink now that Hakyeon has brought reality back to them and Hakyeon _almost_ feels bad. Almost.

“Well, with the amount of blood they most likely have and with the nature of the spell, they’d have to get _really_ lucky to get any hint of my location,” Jaehwan explains, probably in an effort to be comforting. Hakyeon isn’t at all comforted by such a statement, but he doesn’t speak on it. They all know that the hunters have been _really_ lucky in the past and Hakyeon won’t take the results of last night’s hunt as a sign that the tides have turned completely. He’s not so foolish as that. 

“Let’s just pack, okay?” Hakyeon sighs, feeling grateful for the light squeeze that the angel gives to his hand. 

 

\--------

 

Taekwoon is unrightfully thankful to say ‘see you later’ (Hakyeon was very stern about not saying goodbye) to Jaehwan and Wonshik. He knows it’s wrong to want them to go, but he can just add that to the list of things to feel guilty about. It can go under wanting to steal Hakyeon away from the ‘boyfriends’ (Taekwoon thinks that’s what he and Hakyeon are, but he’s not sure what it means) and being happy about the death of a human. Though, the happiness that came with a side of fear of himself is steadily turning to guilt to the point where that’s the only thing he can feel anymore. He wishes he could laugh and just contentedly observe the bickering trio, but there is an unanswered question that is burning in his mind. 

How much is a human life worth?

He knows that Hakyeon’s reasoning is correct. The hunters have brought immeasurable pain to countless creatures including one that Taekwon holds a sort of affection for, but does that warrant murder? There surely could have been some other way to punish the human rather than the finality of death. He thought the vampire’s reasoning would slowly sink into him as well as subtract the fright from whatever relief he felt, but both the reasoning and the relief have fled completely. He wants to flee as well, wants to hide away from his own mind under the protection of Hakyeon’s arms and lose himself in the heat of his touch. So, that has been his plan thus far, cling to Hakyeon until their harsh reality seemed much much further away. It worked until it couldn’t anymore, when reality came crashing back to him once the vampire left him to take care of everything else. Taekwoon can’t hold it against him, but he can hold it against himself for having such selfish thoughts, and he does. Another thing to feel guilty for. 

He watches Hakyeon as he stands just inside the doorway, staring through the locked screen door as the car pulls out of the driveway. There is worry in Hakyeon’s eyes, but he doesn’t speak on it or give any other obvious sign of concern. It makes the angel feel worse for wanting them to go, wanting to be alone with Hakyeon, so he doesn’t speak on it either. He just places a hand on the vampire’s shoulder once the car is gone and hopes it will give him some semblance of comfort.

Hakyeon lets out a fluttery sigh as he places his own hand atop Taekwoon’s and says, “Come on, Darling, let’s get you dressed and find something to do.”

“Okay,” Taekwoon murmurs, allowing the vampire to use Taekwoon to ignore his unease in hopes that he can do the same.

 

\-----------

 

Taekwoon’s hands dance over the keys like a ballerina in her prime, melodic and graceful. It’s almost hypnotizing in a way, seeing the different bones and veins shift under his skin as he presses into the ivory keys. Hakyeon can only watch in silence, head resting on the angel’s shoulder from his spot beside him on the bench with one arm wrapped around his waist. The angel is quietly humming along to the music he plays, occasionally leaning his head over to lie against the vampire’s before he lifts it to focus more closely on his playing again. It reminds him of the future he wanted when he was human and more naïve to the true dangers of the world. 

He was _too_ naïve perhaps. He somehow convinced himself that he’d just be a dancer in his big, old village filled with people that were desperate to forget the chaos that ran rampant and free through the rest of the world. His only dreams were to be a dancer and to be loved, wanted to get married young and have a few kids that he’d teach to dance from the moment they learned to walk. They’d be in love, would go on walks through the village with their children and make the other families jealous. Time passed though, as time does, and he was exposed to horrible blood-sucking creatures that offered him attention, some wicked sort of love, and money in exchange for his blood. Him being naïve and existing in a time where slipping below middle class was a death sentence lead him to what seemed to be the only right answer, abandoning his dreams and saying yes. 

Okay, well, maybe his present is different in a lot of ways compared to the future he had wished for, but he wanted so badly to be loved and so he is. He supposes that sometime, eventually, maybe, he and Taekwoon will prance through a safer town during the night, their children, of course, being Wonshik and Jaehwan, and perhaps the neighbors would find them weird instead of envying them, but they’d have the biggest house in town so it wouldn’t matter. What a dream that’d be, Hakyeon ponders, maybe they’d go somewhere far away like, well, Alaska or something and they wouldn’t even have neighbors or anyone to bother them. 

Speaking of people bothering him, his phone vibrates in his back pocket and buzzes loudly against the bench, prompting Taekwoon to halt his playing and look to Hakyeon in silent question. “Sorry,” Hakyeon apologizes, grabbing his phone out of his pocket and glancing down at the screen. It’s a text from Wonshik, letting Hakyeon know that he accidentally left the laptop, Hakyeon’s laptop, at home. The vampire sighs and rolls his eyes as he opens the message. ‘You can survive one night without it. I’ll tell Minhyuk to send a day worker to grab it today,’ Hakyeon replies. “This child is going to be the death of me, I swear,” he sighs, turning his phone to silent and placing it in his lap, mostly out of sight, so as not to distract the angel. 

“What’s wrong?” Taekwoon asks with a pout on his face. Hakyeon just shakes his head in response, silently assuring him that nothing is wrong despite his previous statement. The angel gives him one last glance, seeming equally worried as he is curious, but doesn’t say anything before turning back to the piano. 

The angel seems to be in better condition than he was earlier, a combination of Hakyeon’s attention and the familiar feeling of piano keys under his fingertips seeming to be a comfort to him. The vampire is thankful for it, even more thankful that his child and said child’s boyfriend are safe, and finds that, even though he kind of wants to be, he can’t force himself to be upset with the way the night has gone. Sure, it had a rough start, but now he’s cuddled up to a content Taekwoon while the other duo are probably happily partaking in some less decent activities. He wonders if, perhaps, the death of that hunter really was a sign that their luck is changing. He sure hopes so. 

“Are you done playing, Darling?” Hakyeon asks once he comes out of his own head and realizes Taekwoon is just staring down at his own hands hovering over the keys. The angel seems to snap back to reality when Hakyeon speaks again, looking over at the vampire like he couldn’t be more lost. “We can go downstairs if you’re tired. You shouldn’t be playing for so long anyway,” Hakyeon offers with a soft tone as he raises an arm to tangle his fingers in the angel’s hair. 

“No, it’s okay,” Taekwoon responds quietly, eyes drifting downward to avoid Hakyeon’s gaze while his head tilts further towards the vampire’s hand. Hakyeon gives a disappointed hum, but decides not to comment. If the angel truly finds this much comfort in playing, who is Hakyeon to deny him that? He will take care of it later if he must, will stay up a bit longer and massage the angel’s sore hands until the other male deems it enough or gets sick of having the vampire’s hands on him. “Just thinking,” he adds as an explanation, if a comment so brief and vague could be considered an explanation.

“About what?” Hakyeon questions, scratching lightly at the white-haired male’s scalp in a way he hopes is calming. Taekwoon’s eyes close for a few beats, falling fully into the feeling of the vampire’s hand in his hair, and producing the opposite effect that Hakyeon wanted. Answers, he wants answers, has been waiting for them since last night when Taekwoon began acting strange. “Hm?” he prompts, running his hand through the silk-like strands once more before drawing his hand away. 

Taekwoon takes a moment to blink his eyes open and straighten up before answering. “Ah, uh, the boyfriend thing,” he replies, looking down to the keys again. He looks all too guilty for the situation at hand, but Hakyeon can’t imagine why. Perhaps he is just embarrassed to be asking about this, the vampire ponders. “I only tell you I love you, so does that make me your boyfriend? Or does it not because you love other people?”

“A boyfriend is what you call someone you date, Darling, like someone who loves you the same way you love them and only them. You agree to belong to each other and only look at each other because it makes you both happy. It’s like promising to love them, I guess. It’s, well, there are different types of love, you know?” he says, turning more towards the angel until their knees knock under the piano and he can’t comfortably move any closer. Taekwoon nods silently, poking at a random key just because it’s something to do besides look at the vampire. Hakyeon smiles, fond, before continuing, “I told you how I love Wonshik and the others like friends or family, but that’s not the way I love you, Taekwoon. The way I love you is-” he says and pauses because, really, how can he describe it?

 He loves Taekwoon like he’s never loved anyone before, like he’s the moon and the stars and everything beautiful about the night. It’s like his and Wonshik’s love in the way that it’s unique, so not at all really, he supposes, but it makes sense to him anyway. He’ll never love anyone else like he loves Wonshik, just as he will never love anyone else as he loves the angel. Taekwoon is his moon, his light through the darkness, as cheesy as that is, but how does he explain that in a way that makes sense to a creature who knows almost nothing about the basics of love? He doesn’t think he can. 

Instead, he brings his hand up to Taekwoon’s cheek and pushes the slightest bit, silently urging the angel to look at him. Taekwoon does, eyes flickering to Hakyeon’s lips like he has read Hakyeon’s mind, and the vampire can’t help smiling.

“Can I-”

“Yeah,” the angel breathes out with a barely-there nod.

Taekwoon allows the vampire to bring him in closer to close that gap between them. Hakyeon thinks it should feel normal, borderline insignificant by now, just the simple press of their lips, but it doesn’t. When he pulls away just a few moments later he is once again immensely thankful for the fact that he is undead, because the angel still manages to leave him breathless each time.

Hakyeon moves away, just enough for their lips not to touch, and rests his forehead against the angel’s as he says, “Like that, Darling, I love you just like that, only you.”

“So, we’re boyfriends?’ Taekwoon asks so quietly the vampire nearly misses it over the sound of the angel’s heartbeat pounding in his ears. Hakyeon lets out a chuckle at that and nods against Taekwoon’s head.

“Yeah, we’re boyfriends.”

 

Hakyeon is dozing off on the angel’s shoulder when a quick flash of what looks like headlights through the windows catches his attention. His first thought is Wonshik, of course, because why would his child listen to him? Knowing Wonshik, he probably complained and annoyed one of the employees until they caved and decided to run the vampire home to get it. It’d be the only Wonshik thing to do after all. 

He checks his phone, expecting to find a rampage of whiny messages from his child or at least a call or two from Minhyuk informing him of the trip, but there’s nothing. Though, he supposes that, with all the chaos, something so insignificant as the status of a laptop could go unnoticed by those in charge. He wouldn’t put it past Wonshik to give Hakyeon the silent treatment either. He can only sigh

“Are they back already?” Taekwoon asks, looking up from the pile of Wonshik’s old sheet music he has been flipping through for the past twenty minutes. 

“I think so,” Hakyeon nods with a yawn and stands up from the bench. “Wonshik probably came back to get the laptop. I hope it’s him at least, that way I can yell at him,” he half-jokes, “I’ll be right back. If it’s not Wonshik and just a worker then I need to let them in.”

Taekwoon just nods as Hakyeon leans down to leave a kiss in his hair, attention already back on the pages in front of him. It’s cute, Hakyeon thinks, once again reminding him of his human life. He would dance for hours upon hours until his entire body ached and he was too tired to move anymore. Perhaps not the healthiest habit, but it was his passion and he loved it dearly. 

Hakyeon smiles and pecks at the angel once more, just because he can, before he heads towards the open door. Now, to go scold his child. 

He is already at the base of the stairs when he realizes something is wrong. There are heartbeats outside, not just one inconspicuous human, but four. Four humans outside his house that aren’t supposed to be there and, coincidentally, four hunters left in the city. He wants to run back upstairs and hide Taekwoon away, warn him at the very least, but he doesn’t get a chance.

The magic of the wards sends a shiver down his spine before fizzling out completely just a moment before the door bursts open. The hunters are here.

His body moves before he even has a chance to think, instincts taking over and mind going hazy, and barely a second passes before he has his hands clamped around a human’s head. He snaps the human’s neck without a thought, but in return he gets a silver crucifix pressed to the side of his throat. He tries to move away, but another human, in a white mask this time, jumps in front of him, pressing the tip of a knife to his chest. He can only stare down at him, head tilted completely to his right side so his skin doesn’t get completely fried, though he can still feel the heat. 

“Don’t even fucking try it. You might be old, but there’s still only one of you and four- three of us,” he says with an almost-shaking voice and gritted teeth. Hakyeon obeys because he has no other choice. He needs to be careful about this, if that’s even possible. He has good odds of killing them all here and now, but he is hesitant to attempt such a thing when things could go so wrong. He doesn’t know what kind of magic they have up their sleeves and he doesn’t want to risk Taekwoon’s safety by backing them into a corner and forcing them to pull anything crazy. 

“Close the door and take him to the middle of the room. We don’t need him trying to grab shit,” another one says from somewhere behind him. His voice gives no hint of fear, just mere annoyance if anything. Hakyeon suspects he’s the leader.

The one who had a crucifix pressed to his throat, who is apparently adorning a red mask, grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him along to an empty space in the living room before shoving him to his knees on the floor. The red-masked hunter kneels on one knee beside him and holds the cross just close enough to Hakyeon’s neck for him to feel the heat. The other two men walk to the front of him and stand a few feet away, peering at him through their masks like he’s some pathetic creature that couldn’t rip their throats out in mere seconds if he so chooses. Hakyeon stares right back at them, gaze steely and ever so careful not to let any hint of his true fear show through. Perhaps if he convinces them he’s not scared he can convince himself as well.

“Where is the other one and that witch? We know there are two of you bloodsuckers,” the leader asks. He is wearing a tacky gold mask, not real gold, of course, just plastic painted to look like it. They’re almost like Venetian masks, though they lack the elegance and the detail, just flat colors that turn the hunters into faceless monsters. 

“Not here,” he responds flatly. 

“Bullshit,” the leader scoffs and rolls his eyes, “I’m not trying to get fucking ambushed here so I’m not gonna run around opening doors. Tell me where they are or I’m just gonna burn this place down with you in it.”

Hakyeon stills, only for half a second, feeling a surge of panic run through him, but, thankfully, it goes unnoticed. He swallows hard, fearful for the angel’s life, and glances down to the hand currently pressing a knife to his throat as he says, “I have a knife pressed to my throat and you think I’d lie to you?”

“Of course you would, you fucking corpse,” the one in the white mask yells to him from beside the leader. 

Meanwhile, the leader is cackling behind his mask, like he finds it all oh-so-funny, and circles his wrist to casually wave his gun around in the air. He silences himself abruptly and cocks his gun, pointing it directly between Hakyeon’s eyes. The vampire isn’t intimidated by this though, the man would have killed him already if he wasn’t planning to use him in some way. “My child’s room is right there. Check it if you like, he’s not here,” he says simply with a nod in the direction of Wonshik’s door. 

The leader looks towards it and slowly lowers his gun like he’s considering it. Hakyeon so desperately hopes he will, praying to any gods that will listen to a godless creature that Taekwoon’s life will be saved. He tries not to get his hopes up as he stares at the leader, but he does anyway. 

The leader looks back at him and opens his mouth to speak, but the room falls deathly silent when the creaking of floorboards can be heard upstairs. Hakyeon, despite his internal panic, is fully prepared to just tell him it’s an old house or some other bullshit, but the floor creaks again and the soft thumps of footsteps can be heard above them. “Fucking liar, you’re lucky I don’t kill you right now,” the leader yells, taking one threatening step towards the vampire before turning his attention towards the stairs. 

“It’s just a feeder, he doesn’t matter. What do you need from _me_?” Hakyeon speaks up again, desperate to keep the man’s attention on him. The leader only scoffs at him and steps forward once again to shove Hakyeon to the ground with a hand to the side of his head.

Hakyeon lets out a grunt when his head is slammed against the ground, but doesn’t give any other signs of weakness. He has been the victim of much, much worse, so this is something he can handle. It doesn’t matter what it takes, he just needs to keep their attention away from Taekwoon. He needs to find a way to keep Taekwoon safe. 

“You’re really testing my patience. I was gonna keep you for leverage, but you’re pissing me off,” the gold-masked man practically growls, bending down to invade Hakyeon’s space and make a show of his dominance. 

“Fuck you,” Hakyeon retorts before spitting on the man’s mask. It earns him a painful kick to the ribs, but it’s worth it considering the floor just creaked again and the man didn’t take notice. “Humans are so naïve,” he adds, forcing a smug laugh, “Are you three planning on ridding the world of vampires all on your own? You’ll be dead in a m-” 

“God, do you ever shut up?” the leader complains with another swift kick to Hakyeon’s ribs. He holds back a groan, biting his lip and causing blood to spill out, but that is the least of his concerns. Taekwoon’s racing heartbeat is coming closer, heading down the hall, nearly at the top of the stairs. Two of the hunters, not three, of course, Hakyeon couldn’t be so lucky as to take them by surprise, are looking up the stairs, patiently awaiting the appearance of whatever creature is up there.

“Hey, asshole,” Hakyeon calls, practically begging for attention now. The leader ignores him though and the man in the red mask takes action by pressing the bottom of his boot to the vampire’s cheek. He doesn’t press down, just rests his foot there as a warning. He disregards it and opens his mouth to speak again regardless, but is cut off by a quiet gasp from Taekwoon. 

 

\-----------

 

It feels like Taekwoon’s heart stops when he steps out to the top of the stairs and finds two of the hunters staring back at him. They’re wearing masks so they aren’t identifiable, but it would simply be denial to try to convince himself they are anyone else. One of them, the one in a golden mask, is pointing what Taekwoon is almost positive is a gun and, though it won’t hurt him, it scares him anyway. Though, he doesn’t see Hakyeon and that scares him even more. 

“Where is Hakyeon?” he asks, voice weak, but hopefully loud enough to be heard. The hunter ignores it either way.

“An angel? A fucking angel?” the gold one laughs in disbelief, looking to the other side of the room. Taekwoon doesn’t know whether the man is looking to another hunter, because there are supposed to be four, or Hakyeon, but he doubts making assumptions is a wise thing to do here. He so dearly wants him to be talking to Hakyeon because that would mean the vampire is still alive and well enough to be conscious. 

“Hakyeon,” he speaks up again, louder this time, “Where is he?” 

“Come down here and see,” the gold one beckons, eyes crinkling as he looks back to the angel, as if he’s smiling. There is some shuffling that sounds like a small struggle, again where he can’t see, and he hesitates. He knows he shouldn’t hesitate, knows these humans can’t do any real harm to him, but he isn’t sure he wants to see what state Hakyeon is in. The hunters seem smug, which cannot be a good thing, and he is dreading to see the cause for such overconfidence. “Let’s go,” he demands, gesturing with the gun. 

Taekwoon takes a deep breath before taking his first step down the stairs. The hunters take a step away for every step forward he takes and he couldn’t be more thankful for it. They fear him as much as he fears them, or so it seems. The only difference is that he could kill him with just the weight of his will, technically could. He wouldn’t though.

He is nearly all the way down the stairs when he finally catches sight of Hakyeon. He is sitting between a red-masked human’s legs, arms being held behind him while a hand is being pressed harshly over his mouth. He doesn’t seem to be too hurt though. His skin is mostly unblemished besides a bright red mark on his neck and a smear of what seems to be blood on the bottom of his chin. His eyes are burning like the sun even now, fiery and filled with something that seems more like desperation than determination, but still, he doesn’t seem weak. 

“An angel, I still can’t get over it, a fucking angel,” the gold one comments again, prompting the aforementioned angel to look back to him. It’s hard to look anywhere else but at Hakyeon, but he must if he wants to keep them safe, can’t be caught off guard. “What can you do, Angel? Probably more than a vampire, right? You’re stronger than them?” Taekwoon is weary, but responds with a nod. “And you guys are like together or something?” Taekwoon glances to Hakyeon, unsure of what that question implies exactly. Hakyeon doesn’t get a chance to even attempt to give any answer because the red one seems to understand the situation and reprimands Hakyeon by pulling even more harshly until he has no choice but to tip his head back and break eye contact. 

“Don’t,” Taekwoon gasps, fearful, before he can stop himself. 

“Oh, this is great,” the white-masked man muses. “We should-” he starts, nudging the gold one with the butt of the knife in his hand. 

“Shut the fuck up. I know what I’m doing,” the gold one whisper-yells back at him before turning to face Hakyeon. He waves a hand at the red-masked man and comfortably leans his weight onto one side as he crosses his arms over his chest, relaxed. 

The hunter behind Hakyeon takes this as a cue to pull his hand away from the vampire’s face and, when free, Hakyeon immediately looks to the angel. He gives Taekwoon a small smile that he suspects is supposed to be reassuring, but it doesn’t bring the angel any relief. He returns it though, if only in hopes that it won’t fall as flat for Hakyeon as it did for him.

“You love this thing, right?” the gold one asks again, raising his arm again to point the gun at the angel. 

“I do,” Hakyeon states, voice careful and level as he glares at the hunter.

“Bet you can’t tell your Council that you have him, right? That has to be against some vampire laws or something. They’d probably kill you, or kill him, some shit like that. So, I have a deal for you, I take him and you-”

“No,” Hakyeon says, cutting him off with a stern voice. The hunter stands up straighter, obviously surprised at Hakyeon’s refusal. Taekwoon isn’t so opposed though. He doesn’t want to go with them, of course not, but if the deal means Hakyeon gets away alive and well, he’d do it without question. How could he not? If he were to turn his back on the vampire who taught him what empathy is, what love is, he’d be worse than these creatures that call themselves human yet lack any sense of humanity. 

“What is it?” he asks, “What’s the deal?” Hakyeon furrows his brows at the angel, gives him a look that screams betrayal, so Taekwoon looks away. Hakyeon will probably be upset, but he will be alive and that’s all the angel cares about. 

“I’ll let him live if you come with me,” the hunter informs, setting his sights on Taekwoon now.

He looks to Hakyeon before he dares speak, just in case he will be dragged away the second the words leave his lips. What he doesn’t expect to see is Hakyeon frantically shaking his head at the angel, weakly struggling against the human holding him back. He burns this image of Hakyeon into his mind because, though he knows it will haunt him, he thinks he will need a reason to stay strong in the future. The way Hakyeon, with his wet eyes and bloodied lips, pushes against the human’s vice-like grip, ignoring the silver crucifix pressed against his throat, reminds Taekwoon that love is something to hold onto. It’s only because of those things that he can clear his throat in preparation to sign away his future for the one he loves. 

“Darling, don’t, please, don't,” Hakyeon yells before the angel has a chance to speak. He struggles harder, but the crucifix seems to weaken him and the white-masked one is rushing over to assist in holding him back. 

Taekwoon wishes he could listen to Hakyeon and they’d just find another way out of this, but it doesn’t seem likely. This way no one dies and Taekwoon will be able to live with himself. He couldn’t possibly kill a human, let alone three, could he? He’d most definitely fall, even without a trial. Killing a human or two to save his own life or the life of another angel is something that gets a pass, but to defend vampires? The universe would damn him before their bodies could even hit the floor, but even if it didn’t, he thinks the guilt might. No one has to die this way, right?

“I have to,” Taekwoon croaks, voice rough from the way he is holding back tears. “I love you.”

This only seems to enrage Hakyeon further, the vampire looking to the one in the gold mask now and practically screaming, “You can’t do this. If you even touch him, I promise I will kill you.” The gold one doesn’t speak, just lets out a snide laugh as he looks down at the vampire. Hakyeon looks back to Taekwoon again, bumping the red-masked hunter’s hand in the process and causing him to drop the cross. It falls against the floor with a loud clank and reveals seared skin in the vague shape of the crucifix, but Hakyeon doesn’t even seem to notice and somehow that hurts Taekwoon even more. The vampire doesn’t deserve this in the least, but he is experiencing such pain anyway, because a few humans with an ego and some magic decided to run around leaving bodies in their wake.

Perhaps the life of a human isn’t worth all that much.

“Let me die for you, Darling,” Hakyeon pleads, voice soft and broken now, begging for his own death so Taekwoon has some chance to get away and live a life that isn’t under the rule of cruel humans. 

At those words, Taekwoon feels something inside of him akin to the strings of a piano snapping and, less than a second later, the hunters fall dead against the ground. Taekwoon feels nothing but joy, but only for a moment, because then he’s falling as well, unable to stay awake. 

 

\-----------

 

Hakyeon scrambles forward, crawling out from under the white-masked hunter that was holding him down, and barely catches Taekwoon before he hits the ground. Taekwoon’s head lands in the crook of his arm as the vampire slips his other arm under the angel to support his back and Hakyeon carefully lowers him to the ground. His ears began ringing the second the hunters’ hearts stopped, but he can still faintly hear the angel’s heartbeat. Taekwoon is alive.

Hakyeon can’t wrap his head around it all, though perhaps that is because he can barely think straight at all, but it’s obvious that Taekwoon did something, especially with the overwhelming scent of vanilla smoke in the air. The vampire suspects he used some kind of power to end the hunters’ lives and, in the process, drained himself just like he had when he healed Jaehwan. “We’ll be okay,” he sobs as he lifts the angel’s limp body closer to himself and nuzzles his face into his neck, “I love you so much, Taekwoon.”

 

Once Hakyeon regains his composure after crying enough to soak the shoulder of Taekwoon’s shirt, he readjusts his grip and lifts the angel from the ground. His body aches and the burned skin on his neck is throbbing, everything in him weak and fizzy from the prolonged touch of a silver crucifix, but he tells himself that he only has to make it through the rest of the night then all will be well again. 

He only has to take Taekwoon to bed and find a way to dispose of the bodies in an inconspicuous way, enough so that Council won’t open any sort of investigation (though Hakyeon suspects they’ll flee to save their dignity the second the bodies are discovered), and all will be well. He’ll sip on a blood bag tonight and, when they wake up tomorrow night, Hakyeon’s body will have healed itself and Taekwoon will be well rested. Then, after the bodies are discovered, Wonshik and Jaehwan will come home as a couple and have time to figure out their future together without the threat of hunters or Council looming over their shoulders. It will be okay. 

Hakyeon walks to their bed, carrying Taekwoon in his arms like a groom would carry his bride except now there’s a wing shoved in his face, and finds that it hurts to recall just how normal and lovely the chaos was when he carried the angel earlier in the evening. His head lolls to the side as he is laid on the bed and his wings spread out under him, clumsily dragging against the sheets now that Taekwoon isn’t conscious to control them. 

The vampire stares down at the angel with a sad smile, knowing he should be rushing to take care of those bodies right now because of too many reasons to count, but he doesn’t want to leave Taekwoon’s side. After what Taekwoon did tonight, what he was going to do, he doesn’t deserve to be left alone even if he’s not aware of his company. The angel was going to spend the foreseeable future as a slave to ruthless murderers in exchange for Hakyeon’s life if he hadn’t done what he did, whatever it was. Hakyeon doesn’t even want to imagine what kind of life that would have been and he doesn’t think he’d be able to live with himself if Taekwoon had really left with them, but he would have anyway because he couldn’t let it be for nothing. 

And to think, Taekwoon didn’t even have any concept of what empathy was less than three weeks ago. Oh, how things have changed.

“I just have to clean this all up and things will get better, okay? We’re going to be okay, Darling,” he speaks, though he knows the angel can’t hear him, and reaches a hand out to brush the hair out of Taekwoon’s face, a familiar, comforting action. He catches a glimpse of white in the sleeve of his sweater before he gets a chance to lay a finger on the angel and he mindlessly plucks at it as he begins to say, “I love you.” He’s cut off by his own gasp though, when the feather between his fingers seems to crumble against all laws of nature and leaves an ashy substance on his fingertips.

Taekwoon has fallen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what can i say besides i'm sorry for making you suffer but also thank you very much for reading
> 
> as always comments, kudos, dms, anything is very very appreciated !! 
> 
> sorry for making our precious hags suffer


	20. Night 19- What To Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for mentions of death and some barely-there gore
> 
> as usual ignore typos and such,, thank you for reading

 

\----------

“It’s fine, Wonshik,” Minhyuk insists, shutting Wonshik down for the fifth time tonight. Wonshik scoffs, standing just in front of the closed door of the elder’s office because god forbid any of the employees know that anything could ever be wrong. Minhyuk is flipping through papers, files for each of the Council members that are in town, though it’s nothing interesting. Wonshik already snooped and saw that they’re only records for payment. So, what the hell is stopping Minhyuk from  _ doing something? _

“He said he would contact you about sending a day worker and he  _ didn’t _ and he hasn’t texted me since. You know Hakyeon, he texts me a million times even if I’m just at Jaehwan’s. There’s no fucking way he’d just not text me right now. I even called him. I-”

“Wonshik,” Minhyuk sighs in a very  _ Hakyeon  _ way, finally looking up at him, “I know, I know it’s weird, but sometimes Hakyeon needs his time. If you’re that worried I can send a few employees over.” 

“Oh, like the ones that nearly got Jaehwan killed? Don’t bother,” Wonshik huffs. Minhyuk sighs again and gives the younger vampire that sort of disappointed motherly look that he would usually only get from Hakyeon. He’d much rather see it from his maker, he concludes, and decides to go do exactly that. He will go interrupt ‘Hakyeon’s time’ and let his maker be disappointed in him instead. “I’m just gonna go to my room and try calling him again,” he says, playing submissive, “I just- Can you not send anyone to my room tonight? I don’t really want to see anyone.”

Minhyuk nods as he says, “Sure, Shik. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Wonshik shrugs before stepping out of the room. He needs to see Hakyeon.

 

Wonshik is almost home, has been sprinting through the neighborhood in a way that is sure to get him in trouble if any other supernaturals take notice, but getting back to Hakyeon is more important right now. He doesn’t know how long he has, can’t be too long. He knows Minhyuk is busy, but the vampire also worries like Hakyeon and probably won’t spend too long working before going up to check on him regardless of the fact that Wonshik told him he wants to be left alone. Jaehwan said he’d cover for him, but not for too long since he is worried as well. “It’s going to be okay, baby, but you’re going to be in a lot of trouble if anyone finds out so just be quick and careful and come back,” he had said before pulling Wonshik close for a kiss and leaving the scent of his perfume behind on the vampire’s skin.

Wonshik just down the street now, though something feels off and there is a discarded flashlight lying in the yard that isn’t helping him shrug off that feeling. He forces himself to move more quickly, as if that’s possible at this point, but halts against his will when he finds the front door open just a crack. Something is wrong.

He is smart enough to pick up the flashlight from the yard before anyone else catches sight of it and dares to go closer, but all thoughts leave his head when he takes a singular step closer and smells death, a startling contrast to the scent of the witch’s lingering perfume. It’s potent and present and so utterly wrong. Though, under it, there is the scent of Hakyeon’s blood, something Wonshik could never forget, and he nearly drops to his knees right there. He can’t though. He needs to keep moving. He needs to know. 

He leaps up the porch and flings the door open, though he can’t even take three steps into the house before there is a masked body at his feet. Luckily enough, it doesn’t smell like anyone he knows and, with that, he doesn’t think he’s ever been so relieved to see a stranger dead. Looking further into the house he can see three more bodies, but he couldn’t care less about those at the moment. He’s much more concerned with Taekwoon’s audible heartbeat and the way he is able to sense Hakyeon’s presence. His maker feels weaker than he usually does, but not enough to be worrisome, so Wonshik can only breathe a sigh of relief before he turns around to shut the door. 

He peeks out into the night when he turns, ensuring that there are no lingering eyes, and finds that everything is almost eerily still, not even a gust of wind to carry the scent of death to the demon couple’s house four lots down. 

“Hakyeon,” Wonshik calls the second the door is closed, stepping over the body to walk to the elder’s room. Hakyeon doesn’t answer, which is concerning, but in just another moment he flickers to the doorway of the elder’s room and finds Hakyeon alive yet seemingly unaware of his presence. Wonshik stands just inside the room, staring at a bruised and bloodied Hakyeon sitting at the end of the bed with his knees tucked into his chest. “Hakyeon, what the fuck happened?” he asks loudly as he moves further into the room, his presence anything but subtle. Not even a flicker of recognition flashes over Hakyeon’s eyes. 

He follows the elder’s eyes to the angel on the bed, though that makes everything even more confusing. Taekwoon doesn’t seem to be harmed, not even the small smudge of blood on the shoulder of his shirt belongs to him, and his skin is still as perfect as it has always been, unblemished and porcelain. If Wonshik had to pick out anything that could be attested to something being wrong with the angel, it’d be the lingering scent of magic, but that could be there for a million and one reasons. Wonshik just  _ doesn’t know _ and Hakyeon isn’t fucking talking to him and he’s  _ scared.  _

He kneels on the bed, shaky hands moving closer to nudge at Hakyeon’s shoulder. Though, his wrist is caught in the elder’s grip before his fingertips can even brush against the elder’s shirt and he is dragged further onto the bed, completely within Hakyeon’s grasp. His maker uses the close proximity to grab at Wonshik’s throat and slam him down with his back against the mattress. “Hakyeon, Hakyeon, it’s me, what are you doing? It’s Wonshik,” he babbles, frantically grabbing at the elder’s wrist in a failed attempt to pull his hand away. Hakyeon blinks at him once, twice, before both his grip and his eyes soften.

“Wonshik,” Hakyeon says, nearly as silent as his unbeating heart, “You’re not supposed to be here.” Wonshik doesn’t comment on that because Hakyeon doesn’t need the extra stress right now, then pushes himself to sit up, the elder’s hand weakly slipping off of him as he does. 

Hakyeon has never done anything like that, not even when Wonshik was first turned and fought his maker every time he got the chance. Hakyeon would never touch him when he didn’t have to. He’d, of course, have to subdue Wonshik to get him to eat, but he never used enough force to hurt his child. It was purely out of necessity because Wonshik was (rightfully, even according to Hakyeon) angry and refused to submit to the elder. Hakyeon would never hurt Wonshik intentionally, so just how broken is he?

“I’m sorry,” his maker apologizes, eyes fixed on the angel again. “I didn’t sleep,” he adds as explanation, though that was already evident to Wonshik from observing Hakyeon’s  _ everything.  _ His injuries that he must have gotten the previous night haven’t healed. There is an ugly bruise that starts on his cheekbone and ends high on his temple as well as a nasty burn on his neck among other little bruises and scuff marks. He must have resisted the Call of the Sun as well, if the blood that’s dried and crusted under his nose, around his mouth, and his bloodshot eyes are anything to go by. He hasn’t seen Hakyeon look this bad in, well, ever.

“Somehow I don’t think that’s the biggest problem here,” Wonshik comments, voice lacking any humor as he observes the elder and recalls the sight of the four bodies lying lifeless in their living room, “What happened?” 

“Hunters came and it- it was bad and Taekwoon-” he trails off with a shaky sigh as red-tinted tears brim in his eyes. Wonshik lets him take his time to speak despite his own burning curiosity, merely watching as Hakyeon forces himself to swallow back sobs. It’s painful, but that pain is still nothing compared to what the elder must be feeling. Wonshik dares scoot forward on the bed and places his hand atop his maker’s. The elder allows it this time, eyes fluttering shut and heaving one large, shaking breath before he murmurs, “He fell.”

Wonshik literally gasps at that, eyes wide as he fixes his gaze on the sleeping angel. He seems peaceful, wings still intact and no glow of magic seeping out of him, just unbelievably  _ normal _ , but it must not be the case. He wants to ask if Hakyeon’s sure, just so he doesn’t have to believe it, but he knows the elder wouldn’t even dare mutter the words if he weren’t positive. Wonshik doesn’t have anything to say. What even is there to say? 

He knows condolences won’t mean anything in the long run nor will they comfort Hakyeon in this moment, so he doesn’t spit out any pitying words at the elder. He wants to do something, anything, because, even if words could help, Wonshik’s always seem to fall short. The bodies need to be disposed of and the small puddle of Hakyeon’s blood needs to be scrubbed off the floor. Those are two things he can do, probably, if time allows him that. It’s been 46 years since he has had to be any sort of responsible for himself after all. He can do this.

“The bodies,” he starts with a light pat to Hakyeon’s hand. 

“I’m not leaving him. He has to wake up sooner or later and I’m not going to let him be alone,” the elder insists, cutting Wonshik off before he can even finish speaking.

“I know,” Wonshik responds quietly, “I’ll take care of them, okay? You stay here with Taekwoon and I’ll get rid of them then go back to the feeder house. No one is going to know anything and you can stay with him, okay?”

Hakyeon nods mindlessly, something Wonshik hadn’t really been expecting if he’s being completely honest. If everything were more normal Hakyeon would probably be scolding him for even offering him to do something so reckless, but nothing is normal. It’s so fucking far from normal that Wonshik finds himself missing getting scolded by his maker for something stupid like messing up the laundry or simply sitting on their front porch. 

“I love you, Wonshik,” Hakyeon speaks up, interrupting his child’s train of thought before he has the chance to work himself into a complete panic, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I love you too,” he tells his maker before standing and stealing one last glance at Taekwoon. How did things go so wrong so fast?

He shuts the door behind himself as he leaves and rushes to shut himself in his room with the silence charm on the doorknob. He needs to talk to Jaehwan.

One, two rings, “Hey, babe, how are things?”

“So bad, so fucking bad, Jae,” he chokes out, tears coming to the surface now that he doesn’t have to pretend he has shit together. “The hunters came and something happened, I don’t know, Hakyeon is like out of his mind right now, and Taekwoon fell. I told him I’d take care of the bodies, but what the fuck, Jae? I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. What are we gonna do about Taekwoon? Hakyeon is gonna fucking lose it,” he rambles, barely conscious of the words coming out of his own mouth. 

He knows he has shit to do and he has to get it done quickly, but he has barely processed the situation. Taekwoon is dying, actually dying and nothing is going to save him. Wonshik was so unbelievably foolish to think promises of love and ‘forever’ meant anything in the world they live in.

“Shik, Shik, baby, listen to me,” Jaehwan calls, voice surprisingly calm and mellow. Wonshik sniffles and wipes his tears, trying to focus on the human’s voice. “Babe, I know it hurts and it’s scary, but you have to get through this or things are going to get a lot worse, okay? I’ll stay on the phone with you, so just do what you have to do and come back.”

“Okay,” Wonshik murmurs with another sniffle.

Jaehwan is unfortunately right and Wonshik kind of hates it. He needs to suck it up. He has always been so reckless for no good reason and he supposes he has been lucky thus far to have Hakyeon watching over him so closely. He can’t exactly let cowardice win out now. 

The bodies, he has to take care of the bodies. He needs to get them out of here, maybe mar them a bit and throw them in the river so Council will have no reason to question their deaths. No one else can question it either because, even if Council won’t be in town, Taekwoon will be- or no, no he won’t. Either way, Wonshik needs to get to work. 

 

\---------

 

Hakyeon doesn’t know how long he’s been awake, doesn’t know when daytime came and went, but he’s sure it has. All of the energy in his body is buzzing, begging to be replenished with a day of sleep so his body can heal itself, but he can’t give in. Taekwoon needs him. He owes this to the angel at the very least, won’t let the angel be alone even for a second. What else can he do anyway? He can’t bring Taekwoon back or prolong his time here no matter how badly he wants to. Hakyeon can only sit with the winged creature as he sleeps, telling himself that not being alone will be any comfort when death is no more than a week away.

“Hakyeon,” Wonshik beckons, though the elder barely processes it. He’s been awake too long to focus on much of anything. He nods anyway, doing his best to act like he isn’t as dazed as he is. He wants to do better for Wonshik and give his child the comfort he deserves because this was, no doubt, a shock to him as well, but Hakyeon doesn’t have half the mind for it at the moment. Besides, he’s sure no one besides, maybe, Jaehwan knows Wonshik is here and, even if a selfish part of Hakyeon wants to cling to him and force him to stay with some pretty words, his child must leave. 

“I’m gonna go, okay? You don’t have to worry about the hunters anymore. Hopefully, I’ll be home by tomorrow, but I don’t know,” he hears Wonshik say from beside him, though it feels far away. He only nods again in response, not thinking too hard about it. Wonshik should be fine getting back now that there aren’t any hunters to come after him. Hakyeon isn’t worried about it anyway. “I love you, Hakyeon,” Wonshik adds, suddenly much closer. Hakyeon looks over, startled despite himself, and accidentally brushes lips with his child who was more than likely aiming for a kiss on the cheek. Neither of them comment on it, nor do they laugh, mostly because they don’t have it in themselves to do so. 

“Thank you,” he mutters, lifting his hand to pat Wonshik’s hair. His child doesn’t flinch, something the elder is immensely thankful for considering the way Hakyeon reacted to him earlier, and just closes his eyes for a few seconds as he nods. “I love you too.”

“I’ll see you both soon, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Hakyeon nods again, pulling his hand away and looking back to Taekwoon. Wonshik leaves then, without any ‘I’m sorry’s or ‘It’s going to be okay’s, and Hakyeon couldn’t be more thankful for it. If he heard those things he’d just cry again and, besides, no amount of pitying comments are going to fix anything. Nothing can fix this. 

 

Hakyeon is barely conscious by the time Taekwoon begins to move, but he perks up immediately. It must be past dawn or nearing it, if the raging fire in his veins is anything to go by, but the pain becomes easy to ignore when he is watching the angel flutter his eyes open. 

Hakyeon scrambles forward, eyes already wet again, and stops just short of actually making contact with Taekwoon. He so desperately wants to gather the angel in his arms and hold him close, but he is too scared to touch him, doesn’t want to somehow expedite the process by simply brushing against a feather. Taekwoon just looks up at him with a content smile before apparently reading the emotions on Hakyeon’s face and furrowing his brows as he asks, “What’s wrong, Hakyeonnie?” He asks it like he’s asking Hakyeon about another silly human thing, innocent and curious, asks it as if the answer isn’t  _ everything _ .

“You’re- You-” Hakyeon chokes on the tears he is struggling to hold back. 

“Ah, is it because I fell?” Taekwoon asks, looking to the vampire with those beautifully starry eyes of his. Hakyeon closes his eyes, unintentionally blinking out the tears and having them roll down his cheeks, and merely nods because if he speaks he’ll surely sob. 

He’s so very tired of crying. He just wants to spend Taekwoon’s remaining time making him happy, doing all the things he couldn’t before when the very nature of what he is was a concern. What does he left to lose anyway? They may as well run through the streets now. Vampires can’t technically be condemned for playing with fallen angels anyway. What do any of them have left to lose?

“Are you angry?” Taekwoon questions, insecure.

Hakyeon opens his eyes again and shakes his head, “No, no, Taekwoon, how could I be angry? I just wish it didn’t have to happen that way. I want you to live and be well, but- God, Taekwoon, what are we going to do? I can’t fix it this time and there’s so little time and-”

Hakyeon is cut off with a kiss when Taekwoon stands on his knees and lurches forward, placing his hands on the vampire’s shoulders to keep his balance as he presses their lips together. Hakyeon just sits there, still stunned when the angel pulls away and leans down further to tuck his face into the side of the vampire’s neck, pulling him into an embrace that Hakyeon needed so badly, but was too frightened to initiate. 

“Taekwoon,” Hakyeon breathes, hands hovering at the angel’s sides. 

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon reassures, “If time is your issue it’s best not to waste it, Hakyeon.” He makes it sound so simple in that way, but the vampire is still hesitant when he finally lets his hands rest against the angel’s back. He is careful to avoid the other male’s wings, but they brush against the backs of the vampire’s hands anyway and, thankfully enough, they seem to stay intact. He huffs out a sigh of relief and hugs Taekwoon tighter, clinging to him like if he just holds him close enough everything will be okay. It won’t be, he knows that, but he finds himself hoping anyway. 

 

\----------

 

“So, Darling, what would you like to do then?” Hakyeon asks sometime past dawn when they have settled into bed, both of them lying on their sides to face each other and mindlessly playing with their hands that meet somewhere in the middle. 

Taekwoon tries to focus on the vampire’s gentle touch, his voice, but he can’t force his attention to stray from Hakyeon’s worsening condition for long. The black-haired male cleaned himself up, but refused to leave Taekwoon’s side for long, refused to sleep. The toll it is taking on him is obvious. The bags under his eyes look just as bad as his bruises and the burn on his neck looks outright agonizing. Taekwoon can barely stand it and it’s not even on his body.

The angel knows that he is mostly to blame and he feels bad for making Hakyeon in such a way, but he doesn’t regret his decision in the least. Because of him, Hakyeon has a chance to recover from this and he will go on, live another two hundred years or so in good health. It’s what the vampire wanted for him anyway, to act on empathy, to feel love. Taekwoon is happy and he knows sometime in the future, probably when he’s long gone, Hakyeon will be too. 

Now though, he just wants to fix this version of Hakyeon, even if he can only mend him physically.

“Taekwoon, Darling, are you okay?” Hakyeon prompts, growing worried again.

“Yeah, you’re just-”

“I’m fine,” the vampire insists, not even giving the angel a chance to express his concerns. “So, what do you want to do now that there’s nothing holding you back?” he asks again, ever so careful with his wording. The implications behind the questions are obvious though. What does Taekwoon want to do now that there is nothing left for him to lose? What does Taekwoon want to do now that there is so little time left for him? 

His first thought is to heal Hakyeon despite how much he knows it will drain him. And so, he tips his chin up and sends a pleading look to the vampire, such a subtle action that Hakyeon picks up on immediately. The vampire moves forward on the bed and Taekwoon lets his eyes flutter shut as Hakyeon closes the gap between them. 

The angel puts his everything into the kiss, fighting the drowsiness that is already creeping up on him in favor of healing the vampire. Though, Hakyeon must take notice somehow because he is pulling away before Taekwoon can completely relieve him of the pain he is obviously feeling. The vampire places a hand on the angel’s chest, as if to hold him back, and gives him a stern look as he says, “Don’t do that.”

“Kiss you?” he asks innocently, playing dumb even though he’s already been caught, but Hakyeon doesn’t seem to find any humor in it. Taekwoon smiles with heavy eyes, tired yet content when he finds that Hakyeon’s face has returned to its previous condition. The burn on his neck is still ugly and glaring at the angel, but he did his best with the time he was given. Taekwoon is arguably pleased. 

Hakyeon is still expecting an answer though, and there’s only one thing on the angel’s mind now. He thinks the obvious answer would be to go outside, go to human places and do human things, but there is Hakyeon to worry about. The vampire will still have Wonshik, of course, once the angel has gone, but Wonshik seems to fall short where feelings are concerned and Taekwoon needs to know that there is going to be someone there for Hakyeon. He just wants Hakyeon to be okay. That’s why he saved the vampire in the first place.

“I want to meet the other creatures you love. Is that possible?” he asks, hopeful. 

“Darling, if you wanted it I’d take the sun out of the sky for you,” Hakyeon promises, though it’s quite unnecessary. Hakyeon is already the sun himself.

Taekwoon smiles and fights the way his eyes begin to close when the vampire lifts a hand to run through his white hair. “Right now I just want you to sleep,” he tells him, though Hakyeon only responds with a quiet breath of laughter, obviously not taking the angel seriously. The corners of Taekwoon’s lips downturn and he forces the hand in his hair to a halt as he says, “Please, Hakyeon, just sleep. You won’t let me heal you so, please, just sleep.”

“Okay,” Hakyeon concedes with a nod. Taekwoon drops his hand that he used to grab at Hakyeon’s wrist back on the bed and slips it into the vampire’s free hand, searching for comfort. Hakyeon smiles as he looks down to their intertwined fingers, though it’s tired and sad, then looks back up to the angel as he asks, “If I kiss you, are you going to keep your magic to yourself?”

Taekwoon returns Hakyeon’s breath of laughter and nods, already leaning in to receive his kiss. The vampire’s smile grows the smallest bit and Taekwoon is grateful for it, finds himself smiling wider as well. 

As their lips meet, a drop of blood trickles down from Hakyeon’s nose and drips onto the angel’s lips, quite the bittersweet kiss. Hakyeon pulls away abruptly and wipes at Taekwoon’s lip with his thumb. He sucks his own blood off his finger and into his mouth, but he must not get all of it because a bitter, metallic taste hits the angel’s tongue. 

“I’m sorry,” Hakyeon apologizes, no remnants of a smile on his face. 

Taekwoon just shakes his head and whispers, “Go to sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry if this chapter is a bit disappointing,, i'm not the most pleased with it myself but im a shitty writer so what can i say  
> ill try to improve for the next chapter
> 
> thank you for reading !! and kudos, comments, dms, anything is appreciated a lot !!
> 
> twitter- @hunscafe


	21. Night 20- Not Quite Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter jumps perspectives a decent amount and i tried to make it as clear as i could with who is who without literally labeling the sections so look out for that please
> 
> as usual ignore typos and forgive any small grammatical errors and thank you for reading

\----------

Wonshik wakes to the sound of Jaehwan’s voice and looks over to see him casually conversing with Minhyuk just a mere few steps inside the room. Wonshik pops up, flinging the blankets off of himself and nearly tripping over them as he tries to rush to the door. Minhyuk’s eyes widen when the younger vampire stumbles over to the space he and Jaehwan are standing and slings an arm over the witch’s shoulder. 

He doesn’t know how long he slept, but he knows he must have slept in quite a while if Jaehwan is already up and dressed. He wonders if, perhaps, they found the bodies of the hunters. Wonshik didn’t bother hiding them well because, really, it would be inconvenient and simply strange if he did, so perhaps they were discovered by humans during the day or an early-rising supernatural. Or, a worse option, Jaehwan accidentally let something slip that he shouldn’t have and now Minhyuk knows everything. Perhaps Minhyuk simply found their behavior suspicious and decided to glamour the human to get the information he wanted. Or maybe it’s nothing. Who knows?

“Good evening,” Minhyuk greets like it’s a question, casual and not at all hinting at the fact that Jaehwan gave away something he shouldn’t have or that Council found the hunters dead. He’s not sure whether to be disappointed or not. “I talked to Hakyeon,” he informs, prompting the hope to rise in Wonshik just as much as the dread, “I was getting worried too, but he called around dusk and told me he misplaced his phone charger while he was cleaning. He said he’s doing just fine.”

“Oh, that’s good,” the younger vampire responds, strangely thankful that Hakyeon is  _ there  _ enough to blatantly lie to one of his best friends. His maker must hate that too, but, of course, he’d do it for eternity if it meant keeping Taekwoon safe. Again, Wonshik doesn’t know whether he should be relieved or disappointed that Hakyeon won’t spend the rest of his life lying to his loved ones for a different kind of love. 

“He invited Eunkwang, Hyunsik, and I over tomorrow night too. Did you know about that?”

“Uh, no, he didn’t tell me,” Wonshik responds, sending a sideways glance to Jaehwan. The human only smiles back at him and nudges his shoulder, probably trying to tell him to get his shit together without actually signaling to the vampire in charge. 

“He’s probably feeling dramatic and sentimental or something. You know Hakyeon,” Jaehwan shrugs, earning a light laugh from Minhyuk. 

“I mean, you’re probably not wrong,” Minhyuk chuckles, “Only Eunkwang and Hyunsik are going since I have to take care of things here though, so they’ll have to deal with his Hakyeon-ness without me.”

“Could I go?” Wonshik asks probably too quickly. Jaehwan pretends to give Wonshik a sympathetic side-hug, but in reality, he just pinches at his side as punishment. Wonshik figures he deserves it.

“On that note, I’m going to get back to work. Ilhoon is being especially annoying today, said something being bored as if he doesn’t have a job to do,” Minhyuk sighs, looking down and away from Wonshik, “Sorry, Shik, you’re welcome to feed if you like. You’ll just have to talk to Eunkwang, okay? And, Jaehwan, the chef is gone for the night, but the kitchen is stocked.”

Wonshik just nods, watching silently as Minhyuk runs a hand through his hair and turns to grab at the doorknob awkwardly. The elder has never been as good at dealing with Wonshik as Hakyeon is, but he can’t exactly be faulted for that when the younger makes it his job to be difficult. 

Jaehwan fakes a smile and dismisses Minhyuk with some short pleasantries that Wonshik doesn’t quite pay attention to. He is too busy trying and failing to figure out whatever the fuck Hakyeon is trying to do.

He waits for the door to close before he spits out, “Is he trying to get himself killed?” Jaehwan follows him as he walks to the bed, then as he paces back to the door, but stops him with a hand to his forearm once he tries to continue. Wonshik sighs and stands in place, looking down at the small stretch of carpet between them, “Council can’t legally punish you for consorting with fallen angels, but Taekwoon has been here for nearly a month and he has only been a fallen angel for two nights. The laws are fucking old and not really in use anymore since angels aren’t supposed to be here, but they still exist.”

“Yeah, Shik, but do you really think Eunkwang or Hyunsik would betray him? Or do you think Hakyeon doesn’t have some kind of plan? He may be broken, but he still has a brain and he still cares about you. If they couldn’t be trusted I don’t think he’d invite them over, even in this state,” Jaehwan assures him, grabbing him by his face with a palm pressing against each of the vampire’s cheeks. Wonshik just stares down at him, grateful for the few centimeters of height difference when Jaehwan is squeezing his cheeks like he’s a toddler. “You need to trust Hakyeon.”

“I don’t like you,” Wonshik tells him like the spiteful child he is, “Why aren’t you scared?”

“I am scared; I’m terrified, but I’ve been through the wringer, baby. I’ve never really had the time or the opportunity to just break down, so I guess I just don’t,” the witch tells him, though it doesn’t do much to make him feel any better. It just makes him sadder if anything. “Plus, my mother would rise from her grave to kick Hakyeon’s ass if she found out he let me grow soft.”

Wonshik lets out a puff of laughter at that and wraps his arms around the human’s waist, pulling him closer until they’re chest to chest and Jaehwan can comfortably rest his head on the vampire’s shoulder. He breathes in Jaehwan’s perfume, grateful that the witch thought to have someone retrieve it. It’s a comfort to them both, but it’s difficult to rely solely on a scent for comfort when the cards are stacked against them in such a way. “I just hope the bodies are found soon,” Wonshik confesses with a sad sigh.

“Me too.”

 

\---------

 

“How are you feeling, Darling?” Hakyeon questions _ again _ . He’s sure it’s getting annoying by now, but he’d rather annoy the angel than let him go uncared for. Taekwoon seems alright on the surface, somehow has more energy than the previous night and isn’t leaking magic quite yet, but it’s still hard to tell how he is truly feeling. Hakyeon can only force himself to be as optimistic as he can be despite  _ everything. _

“I feel okay, almost normal. It’s nice,” Taekwoon answers, telling him the truth instead of brushing him off like he so easily could. Hakyeon is thankful for the honesty, but can only offer a sympathetic smile in the reflection of the vanity mirror in exchange. “Don’t pity me,” Taekwoon adds quietly, so much so that Hakyeon would have missed it if he wasn’t the creature that he is. They hold eye contact in the mirror, silent and focused for a mere few moments until Hakyeon looks down at the dark wood of the surface of his vanity.

“I’ll lie to you if you’d like me to,” Hakyeon tells him, sorrowful. The vampire catches Taekwoon move in his peripheral vision, watches as he looks down as well and draws his hands up slowly to fumble with the blankets in his lap, no stray threads to pick at anymore. Hakyeon holds back a sigh because, right, Taekwoon isn’t interested in wasting time or wallowing in regret, but it’s so hard to do anything else. 

He wonders how he ever did it before, when Wonshik was a newborn begging for death instead of a life like  _ this  _ and the faces of Council members threatened Hakyeon in the inky blackness of every shadow. How did he smile then? He wishes he knew because then, perhaps, it’d be easier to do so now.

“Alright, Darling,” he submits anyway, “I’ll attempt normal.”

Hongbin and Sanghyuk are coming over tonight, a decision Hakyeon already regrets making even though they haven’t even arrived yet. Taekwoon wants to meet them though, because Hakyeon, the fool, loves the demons like they’re his own children. They helped him get on his feet when he was still a bit too young and too foolish, helped the younger vampire fit in with all of the elder, more elite vampires with some  _ highly  _ discounted clothing and equally high compliments. Hakyeon, of course, paid them back once he came into some money, though the demons had never asked for it in the first place. So, he loves them, despite how troublesome and annoying they can be when they want to. Which is most of the time. 

He considered postponing their meeting just out of his own selfishness, but, after thinking through some of the logistics of it, he decided against it. Taekwoon is probably the healthiest he is ever going to be right now, no lingering scents of magic now that he has slept and no obvious negative effects other than the fatigue. Plus, Sanghyuk is too sensitive to mood, can pretty much read minds if he is allowed to get too close, and that can be dangerous considering their situation. There’s no doubt that things will grow more somber as time goes on and Sanghyuk would surely catch onto that. This meeting has to happen tonight because no one knows how bad things could be tomorrow. 

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon calls a short while later, nearly as nervous and vulnerable as the first time he called that name. Hakyeon finishes spraying his last stubborn strand of hair into place and spins in his chair, turning to face the angel with a smile, normal. “Can you do that makeup stuff on me?” Taekwoon requests before Hakyon even has a chance to inquire about the reason his name was called. 

“Of course, Darling. Come sit here,” he instructs, standing up from his chair and gesturing for Taekwoon to sit in his place. 

Taekwoon flashes him a small smile and stands up off the bed, shedding his comforter cocoon and displaying the old, worn pajama shirt that used to belong to Hakyeon. He looks adorable, too adorable for anyone’s good, and Hakyeon fights the urge to scoop him up in his arms and ignore all of their plans for the night. He knows the pale blue t-shirt is soft to the touch, less so than the angel, but  _ still, _ and it would be so easy to just hold him close and just  _ talk  _ about something, anything, whatever the angel felt like talking about until the sun rose in the sky. But, again, they’ve laid out a schedule for themselves and Hakyeon plans to stick to it. If Taekwoon wishes to meet the insufferable demon duo then he shall, with his wings shifted away and the sickly sweet scent of an old glamour potion on his skin.

The angel seats himself in the chair and smiles up at Hakyeon, lips curling cutely and the golden flecks in his white wings catching in the bright light of the vampire’s vanity. “Pretty,” Hakyeon murmurs.

Taekwoon grows shy, cheeks flushing and eyes flickering downwards, but he still manages a quiet, “Thank you.”

Hakyeon just hums, pleased, as he opens a drawer to retrieve clips to keep the angel’s hair out of his face. “Any particular reason you want makeup, Taekwoonie?” he asks as he pulls the chair to face himself instead of the mirror. He lays a hand under the angel’s chin and subtly urges him to look up, so the angel does, cheeks still tinted pink. Hakyeon brushes through the silky white hair with his fingers, pulling it back and pinning it there with the pink, glittery clips that don’t quite suit a creature so dignified as an angel. 

“If I’m meeting people, demons, from this realm then I have to look normal, like a human, a witch,” Taekwoon explains, curiously picking up a small eyeshadow palette and scanning it with his eyes. Hakyeon opens his mouth to tell Taekwoon that there is no need to change his appearance when he is already this pretty, but the angel seems to read his mind because he cuts the vampire off with, “I  _ want _ to look more normal. I think it’s fascinating.”

“Okay, but, just so you know, there aren’t many humans who are quite as beautiful as you,” the vampire tells him, fully aware that it’ll only embarrass the angel. There’s also the fact that the whole point of the angel hiding his wings, drenching himself in an artificial glamour, and making up lies about his life is to present as a human witch, but the vampire’s cheesy statements have no room for reason. 

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon murmurs, as accusatory as it is pleading. Hakyeon relents with a light laugh and leans down to peck at the angel’s forehead, normal. 

 

\-------

 

Taekwoon isn’t as nervous as he most likely should be, but it’s for good reason. He has accepted that most of what he was taught doesn’t matter anymore, that that predetermined value has already been proven worthless; So, he didn’t feel any particular way when Hakyeon told him a demon and his incubus boyfriend would be coming over. He’s not worried about them, no, from what he has been told, they’re playful and can be a handful, but they’re generally good ‘people’. Even if they discover what he is, there is not much they could do to harm him.

He’s more worried about the toll shifting his wings away will take on his body, and what toll that will take on Hakyeon in turn. He told Hakyeon they likely have two hours before it will become too much for him to take, but there is no way to be sure. Using his magic won’t kill him any more quickly, but it  _ will _ drain him and that will worry the vampire. He wants to spend time with Hakyeon happily and awake, yet that is becoming less and less likely as time goes on. He needs this visit though, and the visit for the next night, because he’s not going to be here to take care of a clearly overwhelmed Hakyeon. Someone is going to have to be, but not him.

“Are you okay, Darling?” Hakyeon asks, moving to sit beside him at the foot of the bed. Taekwoon nods and leans over to lie his head on the vampire’s shoulder, though he is careful not to smudge the makeup. Hakyeon lets out a breath that’s not quite a sigh and tips his head over to rest on the angel’s. “We can cancel if you like. Hongbin and Sanghyuk will taunt me regardless, so it’s really up to you, my dear,” the black-haired male offers, sweet and playful.

“No, I want to meet them,” Taekwoon insists, lifting his head from the vampire’s shoulder and sitting up straighter. They’re coming soon anyway, he doesn’t have time to worry himself out of this. He doesn’t mind enduring it for Hakyeon’s sake.

“Okay,” Hakyeon responds, sounding more than a little disappointed, “Let’s get you dressed then.”

 

\-------

 

“You’re staring,” Taekwoon says with a pout, standing in front of Hakyeon’s wall-length mirror and fiddling with his overly-long sleeves. In Hakyeon’s defense, anyone who finds it particularly easy to simply ignore the way the angel looks right now isn’t anyone the vampire wants to associate with. 

He seems unmistakably human, wings absent and eyes just slightly lighter than their usual midnight black, yet all the more beautiful. He’s wearing one of Wonshik’s sweaters because, even if they’re similar in height, his and Taekwoon’s frames are vastly different. Taekwoon is broad, lean, muscular, and tall, yet he manages to look impossibly dainty in Wonshik’s light blue sweater. The black shorts that stop mid-thigh (because he refused to wear jeans) don’t damage the delicate effect either, nor do the pink socks that are printed with little kittens. The socks aren’t so cohesive with the outfit, but they’re cute and the angel doesn’t seem to mind them either. Hakyeon thinks he would have liked the angel quite a lot, had they met if they were both human. Oh, how different things would have been then. 

“Does it look bad?” Taekwoon asks, making eye contact with Hakyeon through the glass of the mirror for the second time that night.

“No, no, Taekwoon, you look lovely,” Hakyeon tells him, stepping forward and looping his arms around the angel’s waist with a lax grip. “You’re gorgeous,” he praises as he rests his head on the angel’s shoulder, still holding eye contact in the mirror. Taekwoon flushes red, but doesn’t break eye contact, just gives a heavy blink as he fights a smile.

“I don’t look human though, do I?”

Hakyeon shakes his head because, no, humans are never so ethereal, always flawed in one way or another. The vampire was foolish to think the angel could ever pass as human, or perhaps he’s just whipped. Who knows?

“I look like you,” Taekwoon comments, shy as his eyes flicker down to the ground before landing back on the vampire. 

Hakyeon responds to this silently at first, simply removes a hand from the angel’s waist and slides the sleeve of his sweater up in order to touch the pale skin of his wrist. He places a thumb against his pulse point, where life is pumping through his veins, and says, “Not quite, Darling.”

The angel looks down again at that, pulling Hakyeon’s hand away from his wrist and catching the sleeve of his sweater on the golden ring on the vampire’s finger. It’s chunky and borderline gaudy with surprisingly intricate carvings of flowers and vines around a large, polished opal in the middle. 

Hakyeon doesn’t usually wear it, mostly because his tastes have changed since he received it as a gift somewhere in the 1800s, but he thought the demons would appreciate seeing it on his finger after so many years. They’re the ones that gave it to him, before Hakyeon knew elegance. He was pampered enough when he became a feeder and for a short while after turning, but things changed and Hakyeon had to leave before he got a taste of luxury for himself. 

On an impulse, he pulls the ring from his own digit and slides it onto the middle finger of Taekwoon’s right hand, just because he can. Luckily enough, it fits and the angel doesn’t protest, just looks up at Hakyeon in question. It suits the angel better than it ever suited himself, as much as he wanted it to, but he figures it makes sense that such a creature suits luxury. It’s a little late to show him that sort of life though, Hakyeon thinks as he lets out a sigh.

“I should have given you so much more,” slips from the vampire’s lips before he can stop himself.

“Hakyeon, don’t, please,” Taekwoon pleads as he turns around in Hakyeon’s arms and cups the vampire’s face. His skin is colder than the metal of the ring band and the feeling forces Hakyeon back to reality. He does his best to hold back the tears that threaten to well in his eyes. “I love you,” the angel tells him, “I don’t want anything else.”

Hakyeon huffs out a laugh, though it’s tired and his eyes are wet, and says, “You need to stop watching dramas, you cheeseball.” Taekwoon sputters and lowers his head onto the vampire’s shoulder now, warm breath puffing against the skin of Hakyeon’s neck as his hands fall down to lace their fingers together. The vampire lets his eyes close for a few beats, enjoying the feeling of just having Taekwoon here like this even though he smells overwhelmingly of the flowers and magic put into the potion, and whispers, “I love you too.”

Just then, the doorbell rings, something that is used so rarely that Hakyeon forgot it even works, then it rings three more times. The demons are here. 

“We should go. They’re impatient,” Hakyeon says, giving the angel’s hands a light squeeze and letting his lips brush against his cheek as he pulls away. “Ready?”

“Yeah, ready.”

 

“Your flowers are dead,” Hongbin greets the second Hakyeon opens the door, clearly unaware of the angel’s presence. To be fair though, Taekwon is hiding behind the door, completely out of sight so that Hakyeon has a chance to explain he has a guest. Hakyeon would have preferred to speak to the demons without the angel present, but Taekwoon was curious and the vampire didn’t want to deny him any longer. The night was already half-over anyway. He has waited long enough. 

“They must have heard you were coming,” Hakyeon replies with a smile as reaches an arm across the doorway, effectively blocking the demons from entering as he leans against the doorframe. “I have a guest, by the way. I’d appreciate it if you were on your best behavior.”

Hongbin merely snorts at him and ducks under his arm, Sanghyuk following suit with an adorably boyish smile. Hakyeon would be an idiot to be fooled by it. “Oh god, is it a witch?” Sanghyuk groans the second he crosses the threshold into the home. He must smell the potion, which the vampire supposes is a good thing considering there are so many other things he could have caught onto. 

The question is answered without a word when Taekwoon slowly pushes the door shut with the hand that’s not clinging to the back of Hakyeon’s yellow button up. The vampire turns, looking to the angel and finding nothing but utter fascination in his eyes even though the demons have only just walked in. He smiles at Hakyeon, just the smallest quirk of the corners of his lips, before he looks back to the demons. 

“You’re new,” Hongbin comments simply when he spots the angel. His eyes narrow and he reaches to hold Sanghyuk’s hand, ever wary of strangers. “How long have you known Hakyeon and why don’t I know you?”

“I’ve known Leo for a while. His family has always been private, kept a watchful eye over him, so he doesn’t know much of anyone. Plus, he’s from out of town,” Hakyeon speaks up for Taekwoon despite the fact that they’ve practiced this. They have answers and, even if they didn’t, Hakyeon can think on his feet. “Relax, Hongbin, worry doesn’t suit you.”

The demon scoffs out a short laugh before giving Hakyeon a quick once over and telling him, “And mustard yellow doesn’t suit you. Your skin tone is already kind of orange. You look like you’re on fire.” With that, he flashes a closed mouth smile and turns away, dragging an obviously amused Sanghyuk along with him to sit on the couch. 

Hakyeon sighs. Taekwoon leaves his side, rushing to sit on the armchair diagonal to the couch. Oh, how he hopes the demons don’t rub off on him.

“I can see up your shorts,” comes Sanghyuk’s teasing voice from the couch, “Did Hakyeon dress you? That seems like his thing.”

Hakyeon rolls his eyes as he walks behind the couch, slapping Sanghyuk across the back of the head as he does, and plants himself on the side of the couch closest to the angel. Taekwoon’s hands, or rather his sweater-paws, move to cover his lap as he crosses his legs. “Sanghyuk, shut up before Hakyeon drains you,” Hongbin chimes in.

“Oh, please, my blood would burn him from the inside out,” Sanghyuk responds with a childlike chuckle. The vampire sighs yet again and gives Sanghyuk a look that he hopes reads as somewhere along the lines of ‘please, for the love of satan, shut your mouth’. It doesn’t work. Sanghyuk bursts out into yet another fit of giggles when he looks to the angel. “Why do you look so shocked? Was your life really that sheltered?”

“Quite,” Taekwoon responds shortly, eyes still scanning the demons with vivid intrigue. It’s cute, him being so eager to learn about those Hakyeon loves, though it’s sad as well. Hakyeon tries not to think about it too hard.

“So, what do you want to know about Hakyeon?” Sanghyuk asks, leaning back against the plush sofa and shooting a devilish look at Hakyeon.

 

\---------

 

Taekwoon is growing drowsy already, just over an hour into the visit, but he does his best not to let it show. Hakyeon, even when he’s laughing, keeps glancing to the angel with worry in his eyes and Taekwoon doesn’t wish to provoke him any further. Sanghyuk noticed the vampire’s expression as well, remarking that Hakyeon must have found himself a new pet if he was acting this way. The vampire laughed and brushed it off, telling him that no claim has been made and that he shouldn’t worry so much about being replaced since he’s not the favorite anyway. That hadn’t pleased the demon, so he went on to tell another embarrassing story of Hakyeon’s past. 

It is decently easy to ignore the fatigue, as well as Hakyeon’s uneasy gazes, when Sanghyuk and Hongbin are amusedly telling him about the time that the vampire was going on and on about the unrightfully arrogant attitude of Council while a member of said government stood behind him. He was lucky that it was one of the demons’ contacts, but that didn’t mean the meeting was saved, just that his head was. Because of that, it took much longer than necessary to even get permission to explore the concept of a feeder house where humans could actually be employed instead of held against their will. A big mistake indeed, but humorous now, if only for the fact that it causes Hakyeon to blush cutely, a sight that Taekwoon doesn’t see too often. 

Taekwoon smiles and shimmies his hands out of the overly-long sleeves in order to rub at his eyes. He realizes belatedly that he still has makeup on, and it smudges under such a clumsy touch. Frowning, he pulls his hands away from his face in order to check for stray eyeshadow, finding pink-ish streaks over the knuckles of his pointer fingers.

“Oh, Darling,” Hakyeon chuckles, fond as ever. The vampire stands up off the couch and crouches in front of the angel’s crossed legs, reaching to pull Taekwoon’s hands closer to him. He licks at his thumb and uses the dampened digit to wipe the makeup off of the angel’s hands, but doesn’t do the same for his face. Instead, he takes Taekwoon’s chin gently in his grip and tilts his head to the side, most likely to get a better look at his makeup while he inadvertently displays the angel’s mistake to the room.

It’s strangely embarrassing, for Hakyeon to be so closely inspecting him and caring for him when there are guests, ones who are practically strangers to him, just a few feet away. Though, his magic is sensitive, can’t handle the lack of focus on the angel’s part. It prickles under his skin. 

“Darling?” Sanghyuk repeats, inquisitive. Taekwoon looks up and gives a short nod, though he’s not entirely sure why the demon is asking. “The ring as well,” he adds, looking past Hakyeon to where their hands meet, “And he says you’re not his pet.”

“He’s not, and it isn’t referred to as a pet anyway,” Hakyeon insists, removing his hand from Taekwoon’s face and momentarily turning to glare at Sanghyuk over his shoulder before meeting the angel’s gaze. The close attention flusters Taekwoon, makes it difficult to focus on controlling himself, trying to endure the itch of unfurling magic in his back. He’s not sure how much longer he will be able to withstand it. “I’m going to go get a makeup wipe to clean you up. Do you mind?”

Taekwoon hesitates, wanting to tell Hakyeon no so as not to worry him, but his discomfort is increasing without any sort of delay. He has already come to the conclusion that the demons would not be the ideal creatures to look after Hakyeon, so his hesitance wouldn’t be at all on their part had he actually been able to calculate what to say so as not to alert them to the lies being told. He and Hakyeon had conjured up a story of his faux human past, but they’d failed to think of any sort of inconspicuous signal for when it felt like too much for Taekwoon. 

He only manages a whispered, “Hakyeon,” but the vampire seems to understand it anyway. 

Hakyeon squeezes his hands a little tighter for a moment, looking to his eyes and searching them for something unknown to the angel, before reality seems to slam back into him and he whispers back a barely audible, “Go to the bedroom, if you can.” He rushes to stand again, releasing the angel from his grasp as he turns to the demons. 

Taekwoon is sure the vampire says something else, and that the demons do as well, but he doesn’t pay any attention to it, is more concerned with standing without allowing his wings to burst out of his back. They would if he were any less careful, but he is, and so they don’t. 

He doesn’t know how the weakness snuck up on him, but he supposes he shouldn’t be so surprised by it. He doesn’t know how this works, not really. He knew using magic wouldn’t kill him any faster than not using it, wouldn’t have agreed to this if it had, though he did know it would drain him. He just hadn’t expected it to come on so quickly.   
He manages one last wave at the demons out of courtesy, but they don’t seem to catch it, more focused on Hakyeon than him, so he just heads to the room as quickly as his feet will take him. 

The door shuts quite loudly behind him and he just about stumbles to the bed. His wings slip out of his back and it feels nothing short of divine, a small amount of energy surging back into him at the release. He lets his eyes close, face lost in the plush comforter, but he doesn’t fall asleep. He’s not quite there yet and, even if he were, he’d fight the drowsy feeling. He needs to speak to Hakyeon, make sure everything is alright. 

When he opens his eyes again he finds a few feathers scattered around the bed and grabs at them, only to find that they turn to ash under his touch. He knew they would, but it is hard to look at regardless, so he closes his eyes again, then his fist. He needs to speak to Hakyeon. 

 

“They’ve gone. They lack common sense when it comes to human health so I simply told them you aren’t feeling well,” Hakyeon announces as he enters the room only a few minutes later. He sits on the bed beside the angel, every one of his actions bleeding terror as his trembling hands brush the angel’s hair out of his face and his voice, trembling just as much as his hands, asks, “How are feeling? I’m sorry, I should have checked on you earlier and I didn’t.” 

Taekwoon shakes his head and reaches a clumsy hand out to lay atop Hakyeon’s in the vampire’s lap. None of this was Hakyeon’s fault. He did everything the angel had asked of him and then more, didn’t even complain when he was obviously anxious and doubtful of the safety of Taekwoon’s wants. If the fault were to fall on anyone it would be on the angel himself and all he can do now is save the vampire the grief of having to worry anymore tonight. 

“I’m just tired, Hakyeon, really. Shifting my wings away takes more effort now and I wasn’t expecting it,” Taekwoon assures, not quite a lie. The vampire breathes a heavy sigh of relief and removes his hand from the angel’s hair in order to entwine their fingers, a tired yet content grin slipping onto Taekwoon’s face as he does. Hakyeon draws their hands up and holds the back of the angel’s palm to his face, the ring pressed against his cheek in a way that Taekwoon can’t imagine is comfortable. Still, the vampire doesn’t seem any less grateful for the touch. 

“You’d tell me if anything was wrong, right?” the vampire asks, leaving a kiss on the angel’s hand. Taekwoon, a bit reluctantly, nods, can only agree because keeping something worse than fatigue from the vampire can end up more horribly than this already has. “Okay, then let’s get your makeup off so you can rest.”

 

\-------

 

The feeder house is noisier than usual, and, according to Jaehwan, there is a lot more energy bouncing around as well. The energy doesn’t mean much legitimately, only that there must be a lot of supernaturals just beyond the wall separating Wonshik and Jaehwan from the overly large living room who are excited about something. Wonshik can’t really say he’s surprised, nor is he curious. 

The Council members have been hanging around lately, almost always blood drunk and carelessly throwing money around because of it. They seem to humble themselves after they’ve fed though, don’t seem to mind hanging around with humans as much once they’ve indulged themselves with more blood than they actually need for sustenance. It’s uncomfortable, pretending that all is well while, in reality, even when they’re lying back on the couch with an arm slung over a human’s shoulder, no one is fooled. Council is still in charge. It doesn’t bode well with the few clients that have come back either and Minhyuk isn’t happy, but what can be done? Council is Council, there is no controlling them nor reining them in. 

It hasn’t even been three full nights and Wonshik is already tired of it. He just wants to go home and take Jaehwan with him. 

A presence seem to appear out of nowhere and an arm is slung around Wonshik’s shoulders as he walks towards the kitchen; It’s heavy, but not enough so to bring him to slouch. “I heard you were here, but you’ve barely come out of your room. It’s nice of you to show your face,” Ilhoon greets, smile smugger than it has any right to be, as he looks up to Wonshik. 

The younger vampire holds back a sigh at the Councilman’s presence. Wonshik was prepared for a commotion, but he was just planning to silently move through whatever chaos there was on his and Jaehwan’s way to the kitchen. He doesn’t have the mental capacity to play nice with any Council members right now, though he will anyway. What else can he do?

“Ah, Jaehwan, nice to see you again,” Ilhoon greets, looking around Wonshik to his opposite side and flashing a smile to the human. Jaehwan smiles, bright as he always is, but his grip on Wonshik’s hand tightens the slightest bit. He’s unsure if Jaehwan is just doing it because he can, because there’s nothing in Wonshik’s mind to hide from him anymore, or because he wants information. Perhaps he’s just nervous, Wonshik ponders. 

He hears Hakyeon’s name spoken from beside him, the side that Ilhoon is still clinging to despite their awkward height difference, and it snaps him back to attention. “What?” he asks, snapping his head to the side to look down to the Councilman, “What about Hakyeon?”

“I said you seem to be doing fine without him, though now I’m beginning to think otherwise,” Ilhoon responds, finally moving away from Wonshik, though it was only because he expected the kitchen door to be opened for him. Wonshik pushes it open and holds it there, ignoring everything inside of him that’s telling him to just let it slam in Ilhoon’s face. The Councilman smiles, but doesn’t thank him as it would be improper for a member of Council to do so even if they felt so inclined. “If you miss him so much, perhaps you should go home then. I’m sure he will fit in quite well here,” Ilhoon suggests, stepping to the side and leaning back against the black marble counter with narrowed eyes. 

Wonshik faces away from him, pretending not to hear, as he reaches to one of the higher shelves hidden behind pearly white cupboard doors that are just barely out of Jaehwan’s reach and quite so out of Ilhoon’s. He grabs the box of cereal that the human wanted and hands them down to the other male, earning himself a small smile and a kiss on the cheek. Ilhoon clears his throat. 

“It really is a shame, you know?” the Council member prompts, and, though Wonshik doesn’t even care what the elder vampire deems a shame, he turns around anyway. Ilhoon isn’t looking at him; He’s looking to Jaehwan. The human doesn’t notice, is preoccupied with searching for a drink in the fridge, so, against his better judgment, Wonshik reaches out for the witch’s hand to let him know his attention is wanted. Jaehwan looks over his shoulder, eyes bright and interested, and gives the vampire’s hand a light squeeze before releasing it. “Well, that’s interesting,” Ilhoon muses with a devilish grin, somehow seeming to pick up on the subtle exchange and reading into it far more than anyone else probably would have. “As I was saying, it’s a shame our dear Wonshik has taken a liking to you. As I remember, Wonshik wished to die instead of live this life,” Ilhoon pauses to gesture to the lavish furnishings and tall ceiling of the room, “Gave Hakyeon a hard time for it despite the evidence of a claim on his neck, so I can’t imagine he’d turn you. Unfortunate, I’d imagine you’d make it quite far as a Council member.”

“Hey, Ilhoon, you coming? We gotta get going so we can sleep and catch a plane at dusk,” another Councilman says, opening the door to the kitchen and saving Wonshik from saying some things he definitely shouldn’t. 

He’s almost impressed by the gall of Ilhoon, practically slapping a contract down on the table and daring Jaehwan to sign it, but he’s also insulted. Sure, Wonshik hasn’t claimed Jaewhan, has only once or twice even considered biting him and sealing his wounds so no scars would show, but that doesn’t give Council free reign. Jaehwan is human and he should stay that way forever, should never even be fed on, especially by vampires that won’t bother to heal his wounds. Council claims to be so righteous, but how morally upright can they be when the only evidence of consent they need to not damn a vampire for turning someone is a scar?

“Plane?” Jaehwan asks, calling attention to the probably-more-important topic.

“Ah, has no one told you? The hunters were mauled, dead. We are leaving tomorrow night,” Ilhoon informs, pausing to smile before he says, “Why? Would you like to come?”

“No thank you,” Jaehwan grins, “You have fun though.”

“Suit yourself,” Ilhoon shrugs, standing up straight again and unnecessarily brushing off his shoulders, “Anyways, I’ll be taking my leave. Stay safe.”

“Of course, you too,” Jaehwan smiles as Wonshik just gives a single nod.

Even if he is grateful that Council is leaving, he still doesn’t have anything nice to say. Council has done nothing beneficial for anyone other than themselves. They killed one hunter, sure, but only after Jaehwan was attacked and, even with one hunter dead, there were still enough to ruin Taekwoon, to ruin Hakyeon. He has nothing to thank them for. He wouldn’t even acknowledge them if such a thing didn’t have the potential to spell disaster for not only himself, but those around him as well. 

Now, he must go home to the mess they left behind and do what he can to simply deal with it because that’s all he can do at this point- deal with it.

Jaehwan grabs Wonshik’s hands the second the doors are closed behind the Council members, thankful for the silence charm on this door as even if its primary purpose to keep the sounds of cooking from disturbing the guests rather than to shield their conversation. The witch bounces in place, excitedly swinging their hands between them until he seems to read Wonshik’s thoughts and halts. “Baby,” Jaehwan frowns, inadvertently embarrassing the vampire. Wonshik pulls his own hands away and crosses them over his chest, uncomfortable. “You’re allowed to be happy about this, Shik. You’re gonna fall apart if you only think about the bad parts,” the witch tells him, looping his arms around Wonshik’s neck and pulling him a mere two steps closer.

“I know, Jae, I’m trying,” the vampire sighs and drops his head onto Jaehwan’s shoulder. He wants to thank Jaehwan for sticking by him and acting as his crutch, tell him he loves him, but he doesn’t think now is the time nor is the kitchen of the feeder house the place for it. Instead, he settles on a kiss to the side of Jaehwan’s neck and hopes the message gets across. They belong to each other. It’s obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh lots of emotions and being sad im sorry i make no promises that the next chapter will be any happier but at least we are on this rollercoaster of emotions together
> 
> sorry if this is getting annoying but y'all have no idea how happy your comments and dms make me so thank you so much !! everything is appreciated !! kudos, comments, dms, anything !! ily
> 
> twt- @hunscafe


	22. Night 21- Familiarity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this chapter is so late but hey at least it's 9.9k words
> 
> as always pls forgive typos and any other small errors,, i still don't have anyone to edit for me i dont think i ever will

  
  


Wonshik was irrationally nervous when he was called down to Minhyuk’s office quite early into the night, even more so when he entered to find the lights dimmed and a furrow in the elder vampire’s brows. They were small details, but they set quite the mood. 

Wonshik was awoken by Jaehwan earlier in the night, Jaehwan who he sleepily kissed and pulled closer to him until the human laughed against his lips and told him he was being beckoned. It was difficult not to worry, to wonder if Minhyuk took it upon himself to investigate the deaths and found some kind of trace of Wonshik on the bodies. It wouldn’t be too surprising, considering that, since Council left early in the night, Minhyuk is being seen as the vampire in charge. He has no real authority, not over anyone other than his employees, but he is looked up to anyway, and the vampires in town, if not all supernaturals, will most likely be looking for answers. Wonshik doesn’t know what he’ll say if Minhyuk has found the truth, pieces of it at least. He’ll have to lie, say he borrowed some potions from Jaehwan and snuck out to kill the hunters himself. Or maybe he’ll-

“Wonshik, I’m going to be harsh with you for a minute, do you mind?” Minhyuk finally speaks after two very long minutes of relative silence, the soft sound of the rain outside doing it’s best to fill the room as Minhyuk worked through something on paper. His voice is level, careful, always wanting to avoid conflict, and it does nothing to soothe Wonshik’s nerves. Still, the younger vampire shrugs and makes a gesture with his hand that says ‘be my guest’. Minhyuk sighs at nothing in particular, sits up straighter as he folds his hands on his dark wooden desk, and says, “The plans have changed again. I finished the things I needed to before I expected to, so I am going to your house with Eunkwang and Hyunsik. There are things to discuss about the feeder house, how to get the clients back and prove again that this is a safe place. It should only take two hours at the very most, so I’ll send a car for you and Jaehwan afterward. I’m telling you instead of just leaving because I trust you to be an adult about this, but if you’d like to fight me on this I’m sure I could find someone who would be happy to babysit the co-founder’s princeling child.”

Wonshik can only stare for a few moments, blinking at him in disbelief. The elder vampire truly left no room for argument because, if Wonshik chooses to argue- and he must- he will only come off as childish. Of course, to Minhyuk there is no reason to argue, but, if he knew everything, he’d see that there is more at stake than the money flowing through this place. Wonshik has to get home and make sure Hakyeon hasn’t completely lost his mind. Jaehwan told him to trust his master and he wants to,  _ god _ , he wants to, but Hakyeon is making it so hard with his short, vague text messages about simply being tired, that he and Taekwoon are both tired. It’s even more difficult considering the last time he saw Hakyeon, the elder was dazed, had a large crack in his carefully crafted facade of having-his-shit-together-ness. 

And so, Wonshik says quietly, carefully, “I have to see Hakyeon.”

“Wonshik, please,” Minhyuk sighs, already tired.

“I’m not- I’m not trying to argue just to argue,” the younger vampire clarifies, leaning forward in his chair, slightly frustrated. He wishes he could blurt everything out now, tell him that Hakyeon isn’t okay, that he isn’t going to give a shit about the business when the creature he is in love with is growing closer to death with each moment that passes. Technically, they all are, but now it’s  _ different.  _ He wants to tell Minhyuk that he’ll regret it if he doesn’t let Wonshik go first, but that will only read as spiteful, again childish. He would regret it though. Wonshik can’t imagine that Hakyeon would leave the angel’s side just to sit back and talk business, reminisce, whatever, with his friends. Minhyuk is going to walk into that house and see an angel, one that is dying, one that Hakyeon is in love with, and it’s going to put everything they’ve worked so hard to protect and hide at stake. Still, all he can say, with clenched fists lying atop his thighs, is, “Why can’t I go before you?”

“I have to meet with clients later, redeem this business,” Minhyuk responds simply, “Truth be told, Wonshik, Hakyeon has been acting strange lately and I want to check on him without the added worry of having you around. It’s not that you’re a liability, just that he likes to save face around you as well as he can and I need him to be honest with me.” 

Wonshik holds back a sarcastic laugh at that because, really, both those ships sailed long ago. It’s not funny, not at all, but laughing is better than yelling out of frustration, or worse, crying. He doesn’t know what to say because he can’t tell the truth, not even a small part of it. He sighs, running hands through his hair like that will do anything to calm him.

“I’m just waiting for Eunkwang to finish getting ready and then we are leaving. You’ll be able to see him soon, Shik,” the elder speaks again, softer this time, but Wonshik can only sigh.

“You don’t get it,” Wonshik huffs, eyes suddenly feeling wet for no specific reason, “It’s more than missing him. It’s-”

“Because he’s your maker? I wouldn’t understand then, no,” Minhyuk responds, then pauses to stand. He walks around his desk and leans back against it, so close to Wonshik’s chair that the tips of their toes meet somewhere in the middle. “Shik,” he beckons, quiet and mellow, for the brunette to raise his head and look at him. Wonshik swallows hard, wipes his eyes, and only returns the elder’s attention when his body has given up on crying. No more than a minute passes, but it feels like much longer and, when he looks up, Minhyuk is wearing a somber expression. The elder takes his time before speaking, “We have lead different lives, deaths, but I’m asking for this, for you to try to understand. I may not get it, the way you and Hakyeon feel for each other, and I’m sorry, but two hours is all I ask.”

Wonshik hesitates before nodding, though he’s not even sure why he complies in the first place. Perhaps it’s because he is realizing that he isn’t Minhyuk, can’t handle everything with some air of grace. Perhaps it’s better if he sees, Wonshik ponders. The help is needed and Minhyuk didn’t run his mouth to Council when Hakyeon confessed the truth of Wonshik’s rebirth to him, to Eunkwang as well. If they were going to betray Hakyeon, they’d have done it long ago; And, if they did so choose to give Ilhoon a call, what evidence of a crime would there be? Taekwoon will surely be dead by then. 

Minhyuk’s voice is sincere when he says, “Thank you, Wonshik.”

“Yeah,” is all Wonshik manages. 

The elder vampire stands up again, walks towards the door, but stops beside Wonshik’s chair to pat him a bit awkwardly on the shoulder. “Take your time in here if you need to. I’m going to go nag at Eunkwang to hurry him up then leave. I’ll try to make things quick, Shik. I’m sorry.” 

He leaves like that, with a long stretch of silence upon realizing Wonshik isn’t going to answer and a self-conscious hand on the younger vampire’s shoulder. Wonshik lets out a sigh and lets himself fall back against the chair again, stares up at the ceiling like he’ll find answers in the blank darkness there. 

He doesn’t.

 

\---------

 

A feeling of dread courses through Taekwoon when he tries shifting his wings away and they just  _ don’t _ . He settles for a moment, closing his eyes and focuses on his wings, the weight of them on his back and the magic within them. He tries again, face scrunching and hands slightly shaking with the force he puts into it and it finally, finally works. He opens his eyes again, looking into the mirror and finding his own grey-tinted irises staring back at him. His eyelids are painted gold today, the shade of the small, subtle sparkles glimmering on his lids almost matching that of the specks in his hidden wings. On top of that, he was coaxed into black jeans and, on the bed waiting for him, a matching black sweater. He’s so close to being human, but not quite there. 

A crooked smile appears on his face, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment at something that usually doesn’t take any more effort than a blink. He dares to breathe a sigh of relief, allowing his body to relax, and feels the same sense of dread run through his veins when his wings slip out of his back yet again. 

“No, no,” he mutters, reaching an arm behind his back and running his fingers over the ridge of his wing for no real reason at all. It still feels solid and, when he checks, there is no residue on his fingertips, so he supposes that is something to be thankful for if anything at all. Hakyeon will be worried, will want to cancel their plans, but it needs to happen. It needs to happen because Taekwoon is dying. It needs to happen because he can’t let his death break Hakyeon in turn: Because Hakyeon told him he was feeling better then cried to himself when he thought Taekwoon was asleep, cried so hard he had to take his hand away from the angel’s back in order to muffle his sobs. 

“Another change of plans, Darling, Minhyuk is coming,” Hakyeon announces as he walks back into the room, focused on fastening a watch on his wrist so that he can pay closer attention to the time. He turns to face the vampire, but he can’t seem to find his voice and his silence seems to call Hakyeon’s attention because he’s looking up soon after, seemingly intrigued by the angel’s silence. His brows raise when he spots the angel’s wings and he asks. “Taekwoon, your- Can’t you shift them away?” Though, from the tone of his voice, it seems as if he has already found his answer.

The angel shakes his head, eyes focused on the floor between them because it’s much easier to scan the carpet than face Hakyeon like this. It’s not that he’s ashamed, no, it’s more so that he is nervous to hear the vampire’s response, to potentially hear his own worries spoken from the other male’s lips. 

“Oh, Darling,”  Hakyeon breathes, stepping forward to cup the angel’s face in his palms, “It’s okay. I’ll cancel and we can just-”

“Hakyeon, no, please, I want to meet them,” Taekwoon pleads, looking into Hakyeon’s eyes and gripping at his wrists in an act of desperation. The vampire sighs and looks down, thumbs moving gently over the angel’s cheekbones as he does. “Don’t you trust them?” he asks, suddenly more nervous because, if Hakyeon doesn’t, then there’s no point to any of this. Hakyeon will be alone, broken because Taekwoon’s fatal sacrifice still wasn’t enough to fix everything.

“Of course, I do, but there is so much at stake,” the vampire tells him, letting his hands drop from Taekwoon’s face and slide down his arms until their hands meet. Slipping his fingers in between Taekwoon’s, he says, “I trust them with everything I am. I love them dearly.” A pause. “But, Council is keen, more so than they have displayed with the events of the hunters and, the more people that know something, the more at risk we all are. I would give my life for you, Darling, without hesitation, but if I’m killed after you pass, then what was the point of any of it? I won’t take that risk, Taekwoon, I won’t let your sacrifice be for nothing.”

Taekwoon doesn’t have anything particularly intelligent to say to that, and so he doesn’t say anything. Hakyeon’s reasons for not wanting them to come, for wanting to hide everything that happened and what Taekwoon is, are much more compelling than the angel’s reasons for wanting them to come. It also makes more sense than Taekwoon’s flawed plan of assuming that just because he met Hakyeon’s friends and, hopefully, saw that they were fit to care for him, they’d just  _ be there  _ despite knowing nothing of the angel. It’d work now though, he thinks, if Hakyeon allows it. Maybe he’s just selfish for still wanting to risk everything for his own peace of mind, but he is an angel after all and, even with all that has happened, he has faith in the universe, that it’ll be fair. Taekwoon killed humans and punishment is due for that, but Hakyeon is innocent, he should be spared even if they do something so reckless as this. And so, he murmurs out a quiet, “Please, Hakyeon.”

Hakyeon just shakes his head and steps back, letting his hands slip from the angel’s as he moves away. The vampire turns his back to Taekwoon and walks forward, reaching for his phone to cancel their plans, but Taekwoon catches the hem of Hakyeon’s shirt in his hand, stopping him from continuing. Neither of them move nor speak for a few moments at least, but eventually, Taekwoon musters the courage to say, “I’m not- I’m not going to be here forever, Hakyeon, and I just want to make sure someone is-- will be here for you when I’m not.” 

Hakyeon remains still, silent, until he drops his head and says, barely audible, “Okay.” The tone of the vampire’s voice isn’t particularly sour or resentful as one might expect, just a breath, but it hurts Taekwoon all the same. In the simplest of ways, he just wishes things were better. 

Hakyeon finally turns and steps forward, leaning in to press a kiss to the angel’s temple before saying, “I can’t promise it’ll be pleasant, Darling, but if you really want to go through with it then I’ll help you along. So, are you sure?” Taekwoon nods. “Alright then, we’ll get one of your shirts and dress you, but can I ask that you wait here until I come for you? I’d like to prepare them first.” Taekwoon can only nod again, letting his eyes flutter shut when the vampire kisses his temple for a second time. 

 

It isn’t too long until two knocks come at the bedroom door, interrupting Taekwoon’s extremely labor-intensive job of nervously twisting the ring on his finger, and the angel looks up at it. He had heard the car doors, the front door open then close, and the muffled, barely audible voices, but he still wasn’t prepared for Hakyeon’s signal. He was already nervous before, how could he not be? The wait made it worse though, brought all of his worries to the forefront of his mind. What if they’re not the ones either? What if everything goes wrong? What if Taekwoon runs out of time?

He stands, body moving on autopilot as he walks towards the door, the two knocks being the signal that Hakyeon had already delivered his shortly practiced speech of ‘I have something to show you, but you can’t freak out’. He makes it to the door and just stares for a few beats, eyes following the grain of the wood just because it’s something else to focus on, then places his hand on the knob. 

The angel opens the door slowly, the suspense doing nothing to ease his nerves, and freezes when he finds a face he recognizes between those of two strangers. He recognizes the man even though his hair is no longer white, now black in what he can only assume is an artificial way like Wonshik’s, and, when said man parts his lips with a silent gasp, his teeth aren’t all blunt like they’re used to be; He has fangs. Taekwoon recognizes him, but the vampire that stands in front of him, with golden skin and eyes that, even when they’re open wide with shock, are still small and doey, must be some kind of doppelganger. It can’t be Hyunsik because if it is him, if Hyunsik is alive then that means Taekwoon could live as well and he really doesn’t know what he could do with that potential. Hyunsik was damned. Hyunsik is dead. Taekwoon will follow suit. 

“Taekwoon?” the vampire breathes in a voice that is definitely Hyunsik’s.

 

\--------

 

Had Hakyeon’s heart been beating it surely would have stopped at that, but he doesn’t even have time to question it because, before he can speak, Hyunsik is stepping forward, one step, two steps, stumbling forward and throwing his hands onto the angel’s biceps and asking, “Why are you here?” 

Hakyeon is sure he is gaping now, utterly confused and unable to even fathom the scene, but he looks up to Eunkwang and finds the elder vampire looking back at him too. They share a moment of something that’s somehow simultaneously mutual confusion and a sense of understanding. Taekwoon has never been to the human realm, Hakyeon knows this, so there is no way for him to know Hyunsik unless Eunkwang’s child, who Hakyeon previously never had any reason to question, had been in Heaven, had been an angel. Eunkwang offers him a singular nod before he looks back to the pair of ‘angels’ and Hakyeon has no choice but to follow along.

Hyunsik is hugging Taekwoon now, the angel’s hands clinging to the back of the vampire’s carefully ironed shirt and his face hidden in the black-haired male’s shoulder. A clap of thunder rumbles through the room, though now it is quite difficult to appreciate the theatrical effect of it, and Taekwoon flinches in Hyunsik’s arms. Hakyeon steps forward, places a hand between the angel’s wings on his upper back, and attempts to soothe him by rubbing small circles there. He’s just close enough to hear Hyunsik say, “It’s hard to get used to, isn’t it?” 

Hakyeon didn’t really need the extra confirmation that Hyunsik was an angel, but that statement served as such anyway. There is a lot more to discuss than he initially thought. 

If Hyunsik was an angel, is a vampire, then there is hope for Taekwoon, though it’s so hard to believe in when this world is as it is, when this world killed the creature Hakyeon is in love with right in front of him as punishment for saving his life.

Hakyeon opens his mouth to speak then closes it again, unsure of what he should say or if now is an appropriate time to blurt out, “What the hell is going on?” Though, a few moments later, Minhyuk makes a modest attempt at clearing his throat and asks, very carefully, “Can someone explain what’s going on?” 

Hyunsik pulls back slowly, slowly enough that Taekwoon could resist if he so chose, then looks to Hakyeon to ask, “Could you?” as if Hakyeon has any clue what’s going on. 

“I-I’m confused as well,” Hakyeon stumbles over his words because, really, even if he was able to assume a few things and, even if he has some things of his own to explain, there is still so much he doesn’t know and couldn’t properly explain if he tried.

“Ah, but Taekwoon isn’t much of a talker and I can only explain mine and Eunkwang’s story,” Hyunsik tells him, glancing towards the angel with questioning eyes. 

Taekwoon looks down, fingers mindlessly rotating ‘his’ ring back and forth as he says, “I can, but can we- can we sit down?” No one speaks, but everyone seems to agree as they’re already moving towards the seating in the living room. Hakyeon stays where he is to offer his arm to the angel. Taekwoon takes it, though they both know he doesn’t have any real need for the assistance at this point in time.

Hyunsik and Eunkwang seat themselves on the suede couch while Minhyuk stays standing, nervously glancing between the pair of ‘angels’. Hakyeon understands, doesn’t urge him to sit because Minhyuk is Minhyuk and doesn’t much like to sit and do nothing during day to day life, let alone a crisis. 

Hakyeon sits on the chair Taekwoon was seated in the previous night and pats his lap, signaling the angel to sit. It’s barely appropriate in this setting, but watching the white-haired male’s hair bounce off of his forehead when he flinches at the sudden sound of thunder is more than enough to tell Hakyeon he could use the extra comfort. Taekwoon hesitates, but eventually walks forward to seat himself in the vampire’s lap. He sits on one of Hakyeon’s thighs and hangs his legs over the other, tucking a wing in between Hakyeon’s back and the chair then, when the vampire looks to him worriedly, gives him a nod as if to tell him that it’s okay. His other wing hangs over the side of the chair, catching the attention of an obviously still-bewildered Minhyuk. 

The angel’s heartbeat and the usually-calming drumming of rain on the rooftop are the only sounds in the room for a bit too long to be considered comfortable and Taekwoon shows no sign of speaking despite him claiming he would. Hakyeon takes it upon himself to do so, “So, uh, Taekwoon fell just a few nights ago, but he’s been here for about three weeks. We aren’t sure why or how he got here, but,” Hakyeon pauses, looking to Hyunsik who is meeting his gaze with an expression that can no longer be read as confusion, “Perhaps you know.”

Hyunsik shifts in his seat, looking uncomfortable. “I might,” he responds.

“What do you mean?” Minhyuk asks, understandably eager for any sort of explanation.

“Well, first, I might as well say that I was an angel even though I’m sure everyone already assumed that,” Hyunsik explains, earning a nod from Minhyuk, “I’ll explain my own past, but first, Taekwoon.” Taekwoon sits up straighter at the vampire’s prompt, listening intently, and, though Hakyeon’s body language may not be as telling, he’s just as curious. “You know how you’ve never met any angels from your generation?” Taekwoon nods. “Well, you came to be right around the time angels were forced back to Heaven, you know this, but you were sheltered from the reality of it all. A lot of guardian angels weren’t pleased with the decision, so tensions were high between the Old Ones and the Guardians. So, apparently, the Old Ones decided that it’d be easier to damn a generation of newborns to prove a point rather than to attempt to control a group of angels that could still technically flee to the human realm if they decided to risk it. They squashed any sort of rebellion before it had a chance to begin and things just got worse after that,” Hyunsik explains and Hakyeon can’t help but drop his jaw at the information being relayed to him. 

Hakyeon had a clue, that angels couldn’t be  _ too  _ righteous or generally as good as they’re believed to be, after literally having to teach Taekwoon what something as basic as empathy is and from whatever other brief comments the angel made, but he had no idea they were so utterly cruel. He hugs Taekwoon a bit closer in his lap, resentful on behalf of the angel, angry at the kindness, the care he most likely never received. It annoys him, but, really, what can he do? Shall he shout at the gods and hope they take a vampire’s advice into consideration?

“Then, Taekwoon, how is he alive?” Eunkwang asks a bit flatly, as if he’s only asking to satisfy everyone else’s curiosity. Hakyeon figures, after being together for so long, the topic of Heaven’s politics and a rogue baby angel may have come up in conversation. Perhaps Eunkwang already knows. 

“Taekwoon was early,” Hyunsik starts again, looking back to the angel and causing his heart to speed up even more at the sudden attention, “Oftentimes, those who come early don’t assume the right position, don’t have the abilities they’re supposed to, so the Old Ones took a chance on you, if only as a pale attempt to save their image.”

“Why didn’t I know any of this? I’m three-hundred-something-” Taekwoon starts only to be cut off by Hyunsik.

“318,” the apparently elder ‘angel’ fills in. 

“How is it possible for me to never have known?” Taekwoon asks, sounding somber rather than annoyed or frustrated. 

“Because I didn’t want you to know, Taekwoon, you were never supposed to come to this realm. Back then, I was trying to save my life so I promised to remain obedient as long as they decided to spare me, so they assigned me to you. There’s no way to tell the difference between angels besides the Old Ones because they’re, you know,” Hyunsik trails off.

“I don’t know,” Minhyuk speaks up, raising a hand like they’re students again.

And so, Eunkwang blurts out, “Nightmare fuel,” earning a probably-inappropriate snort from Hakyeoon. Minhyuk smirks as well, but the ‘angels’ don’t find it so humorous. To be fair though, Hakyeon merely finds Eunkwang’s terminology funny, he’s sure any creatures that won’t hesitate to damn an entire generation of innocent angels are ones to be feared. “Hyunsik doesn’t like to talk about it, but, from what I recall, they have an alarming amount of eyes, several wings, threatening things like that.” Hakyeon is no longer laughing. 

“Yeah, that,” Hyunsik says quietly before clearing his throat and starting again, “Anyway, Taekwoon, I was supposed to look over you and wait to see if you’d be summoned by your subject once they were in danger and, if you were, I’d go to the human realm and teach you how to get back so I could take you to the Old Ones.” 

Taekwoon stiffens at that, but doesn’t speak, so Hakyeon pokes lightly at his side, mouthing ‘are you okay’ once the angel’s attention is on him. Taekwoon nods and leans to the side, resting against the vampire’s chest and placing a hand over the ones Hakyeon has clasped around his middle. It’s more of a comfort to Hakyeon than he’ll admit, but this is all overwhelming, hearing so much about a world he’d never really thought about and a past he never had an opportunity to question. 

There is so much he wants to ask, but he knows the majority of Hyunsik’s explanation is for Taekwoon, not for ignorant vampires. Besides, the one thing he actually needs the answer to is how Hyunsik is alive, how he’s a vampire when vampire blood only has any such effect on humans. He supposes that answer will come though, if Hyunsik has any interest in saving Taekwoon. Hakyeon suspects he does. He will just have to swallow his questions and  _ wait. _

“But the Old Ones got tired of waiting and assigned me to another task on top of yours. I was to look over the other Guardians, check in on them every once in a while to ensure they weren’t doing anything they shouldn’t, but they were,” he sighs, looking off into space like he can see the memory floating in the still air of the room, “There were about twenty of them, had been meticulously distancing themselves from the other angels so they could all flee to the human realm at once in secret, as if the Old Ones would miss such a thing. We both knew they were going to be caught and damned and they knew I was supposed to report to the Old Ones about them, but they at least wanted to get to the human realm first. So, they offered me something, protection for my subject, Eunkwang, and I couldn’t refuse. You can see how that turned out.” There is a smile on his face when he finishes despite the somber tone of his voice and he leans over to rest his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. Eunkwang grins back at him, more sorrowful, but a grin nonetheless, and pecks at Hyunsik’s forehead. It reminds Hakyeon of himself and Taekwoon, gives him a dreadful sense of hope that he’s almost positive he shouldn’t have. Hyunsik is alive, so, by all means, Taekwoon should be able to live as well, but Hakyeon has learned that the universe isn’t very kind to angels who give themselves over to love. 

“The Old Ones found out and you were damned,” Hakyeon thinks aloud, though he’s sure no one needed the explanation. Hyunsik nods anyway. “But that doesn’t explain how you became a vampire,” he adds tentatively. It feels like he swallowed a weight, the pit of his stomach feeling heavy and uncomfortable, ever so fearful that he’ll be told it was some kind of impossible to replicate feat. He figures he should be excited, and a part of him is, but a larger part of him, the part that is unfortunately all too aware of the way this world works, won’t allow him to get his hopes up. He doesn’t have to energy to anyway, doesn’t know what he’d do if he got his hopes up only to be let down.

“The same way you turn anyone else,” the angel-turned-vampire replies, “You bleed into their mouth.”

“But I thought vampire blood only affected humans? Is it really that simple? Has Taekwoon been suffering for nothing? I-” Hakyeon questions only to be cut off by Taekwoon’s soft voice. 

“No,” the angel murmurs, shaking his head and patting at the vampire’s hands. “That night when you were fighting sleep and we kissed,” he pauses briefly, looking down as the tips of his ears turn pink, “Your blood dripped into my mouth, but I’m still like this. It didn’t do anything.” 

Hakyeon’s brows furrow, shocked and a little ashamed because Taekwoon never told him and, apparently, it should have worked. Eunkwang speaks up soon enough though, saying, “That’s the catch, unfortunately. It never worked when Hyunsik was still alive, an angel, even as a fallen one. Trust me, I tried enough. I suppose there is an instance when they’re on the borderline of life and death, when their wings are gone and their magic has left, that they’re only what they appear to be- human. I don’t really know, I mean, I know that’s what works, but I don’t know why. I wasn’t thinking when I did it, I was just running on pure desperation and then he woke up with fangs.”

“So what? I just have to wait? He has to bear this and I just have to get the timing right?” Hakyeon asks with a scoff. Eunkwang merely nods, prompting Hakyeon to pull his hands away from Taekwoon so he can bury his face into them. 

“I can do it,” Hyunsik offers, voice soft as ever. Hakyeon lifts his head again, goes to say no, that he’ll do it, but he realizes that it’s not up to him. It’s Taekwoon’s decision in the end, who does it and  _ if  _ he even wants to go through with it. 

Hakyeon looks to the angel, but another crack of thunder comes and an answer becomes secondary to soothing his panic. The angel flinches in his lap and clumsily grabs for the vampire’s hands, holding one of Hakyeon’s hands in both of his as the vampire’s other hand runs through his hair. The angel’s eyes close for a few moments and he sighs out, “I want to live, but being a vampire is- I have to think about it.”

“Okay, Darling, that’s okay,” Hakyeon comforts, doing his best to put his own disappointment aside. He knows that committing to a life that is maintained by drinking the blood of humans, avoiding the sun, hiding for eternity, isn’t something easily done no matter how badly you want to live. He tells himself that Taekwoon will come around, will eventually welcome the idea of being a vampire and Hakyeon will help him through it, and leaves it at that because he doesn’t have the heart to believe anything else. He was hesitant to hope, was hesitant to believe there was anything good left in the world, but now that he’s been told that there is a legitimate, plausible way to save the angel, he isn’t ready to let it go so quickly. 

“Wait, wait, so, Taekwoon was summoned here like a month ago and you’ve been hiding him from me through everything?” Minhyuk speaks up, holding himself tightly with arms crossed over his chest. Hakyeon meets his gaze, finding woe there, but Minhyuk looks away towards Eunkwang and Hyunsik before saying, “And it’s been, what, 200 years for you two? You could have told me. Hakyeon too, you could have told me.”

“Minhyuk,” Hakyeon breathes, regretful, “I didn’t even know what I was getting myself into at first and, as time went on, things got more hectic. I was harboring a pure angel and Council was at my front door. I couldn’t risk telling anyone. You know how secrets work with Council, they don’t.”

Minhyuk groans, running his hands through his hair and leaving them to rest on the back of his neck. “Shit, Hakyeon, I’m sorry. I should have checked on you, especially when Wonshik was- Oh, god, does Wonshik know?”

“He does.”

Another groan, “I’ll be right back, I’m going to call and get him a ride. Do you mind if I use your room?”

“Go ahead,” Hakyeon nods and watches as Minhyuk disappears behind the door to the bedroom. It’s quiet again, tense, this feeling amplified by hearing Minhyuk’s muffled voice through the door. It’s obvious that he’s only _acting,_ albeit a bit poorly, as if everything is fine and Hakyeon can’t help thinking that it sums up the entire mood of the night.

Eunkwang breaks the silence with, “He’ll be fine. He’s just more of a baby than he lets on.” Hakyeon grins at that, knowing it’s true and everyone knows it, but no one mentions it. The corners of Taekwoon’s lips quirk up as well, though, from where his gaze is fixed, the vampire thinks it has more to do with him than the nature of Minhyuk’s character. Either way, Hakyeon is thankful to see it. 

“Taekwoon,” Hyunsik prompts with a more serious tone, “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you fall?”

The angel tenses at the question, looking down again as his heart rate picks up. Hakyeon is prepared to answer on his behalf, save him the energy, but Taekwoon takes a deep breath and looks up to say, “The hunters came and were going to kill Hakyeon if I didn’t kill them first. So I did.” There’s little, if any, remorse in the angel’s voice and his heart is more steady than it was previously, but, on the contrary, Hyunsik looks as if he’s going to cry. Hakyeon desperately hopes he doesn’t because then he would as well and Taekwoon would hate that. “I don’t regret it, so you don’t have to- you don’t have to cry for me,” Taekwoon confesses, the statement a testament to Hakyeon’s thoughts. “I wasn’t sure how much a human life was worth and I didn’t- I didn’t like that everyone was celebrating a human’s death, but I found my answer. So, I’m okay, I don’t regret it.”

“Quite the guardian angel you’ve got there, Hakyeon,” Eunkwang singsongs, ever the optimistic presence.

“What- I- Yeah, yeah, I guess you’re right,” he stumbles, intrigued but admittedly lost, “But I wasn’t really in any danger when Taekwoon came. I’m not even the one who found him, Wonshik did.”

“Don’t doubt the universe. I mean, just look at all that has happened,” Hyunsik retorts. Hakyeon can’t exactly argue with that. He’d likely, more than likely,  _ definitely _ be dead right now if Taekwoon hadn’t come, but he can’t say he’s pleased with the way things have turned out. He wonders if really should have fled, should have taken all of them somewhere far away, or maybe should have mustered some courage to ask Minhyuk or Eunkwang for help. He can’t help thinking that things would have turned out differently if he had, but perhaps they’d be worse. Who knows? What a cruel universe it is- for it to call Taekwoon to action then to promptly punish him for acting. 

Taekwoon yawns and moves to rest his head on the vampire’s shoulder, maneuvering himself so that he’s turned towards Hakyeon and his knees are tucked between their chests. Hakyeon puffs out a breath of fond laughter and holds the angel closer, looking down at him and marveling at how tiny he has managed to make himself. Still, it’s somewhat sad that Taekwoon is already so tired after only being awake for no more than 5 hours. He wonders if he should take Taekwoon into their bedroom, but the angel hasn’t given any hint of discomfort and Hakyeon can imagine he’d be happy to simply be in the same room as an old friend, so he doesn’t bother starting a fuss over it.

Seeming to read Hakyeon’s mind, or maybe just being able to relate to his worries, Eunkwang speaks up with, “He’s going to get more tired, but sleep won’t come that easily. It’ll be more difficult to do much of anything as well, but, according to Hyunsik, it’s not painful and nothing can speed up the process, so that’s something nice to focus on. Just do what you can to help him because, if he’s as stubborn as Hyunsik, he’ll hide everything and bust his ass in the shower.” 

He shoots Hyunsik a pointed look, prompting a playful scoff and, “Okay, but I communicated with you after that.”

“After almost breaking your leg? Am I supposed to be impressed?” Eunkwang asks, laughing while he does.

“Hey, at least I’m not as bad as Taekwoon. We only played piano for two years straight because he was so shy!”

Taekwoon huffs in embarrassment and closes his eyes, turning his head more towards Hakyeon, who can’t help chuckling. The vampire kisses his hair and whispers, “It’s okay, Darling, everyone moves at their own pace. You’re perfect, baby.” 

“It was cute- most of the time. Don’t worry,” Hyunsik comforts, doing nothing to help the blush that has just appeared on the angel’s cheeks due to Hakyeon’s comment. It’s adorable, normal, and Hakyeon relishes in it.

Minhyuk comes out then, breaking the mood of the room when he announces that Wonshik and Jaehwan are just packing their things then coming. “For now though,” he says as he squishes himself on the couch beside the vampire pair. “I want to hear the whole story, from the first time Hyunsik came here until now.”

 

\--------

 

Wonshik is hurriedly packing in the exact way that Hakyeon told him not to, shoving his and Jaehwan’s clothes in whichever bag is closest to him, no folding or organization. He might get scolded, but, at this point, he can’t even count on that. He’s just glad he’s going home, glad that Jaehwan is going with him. The support is needed. He is already nervous and they haven’t even left yet, but his anxiety can be partly attested to the fact that this is all too soon. It has barely been an hour, not even close to the two hours Minhyuk mentioned, and Wonshik can’t help but worry that something is very wrong.

“What are you doing, babe?” Jaehwan asks as he walks out of the bathroom, still toweling off his wet hair. There is a flush on his cheeks from the shower and a questioning angle to his eyebrows as he looks down at the vampire.

“Minhyuk called. We are going home,” Wonshik informs as he stands and walks past Jaehwan to grab their toiletries from the bathroom. With arms full of hygiene products, mostly belonging to the human, he pauses on his path back towards the bags in order to peck at his boyfriend’s cheek. Jaehwan smiles, leans into it, then stands back to watch as the vampire drops the bottles and tubes into one duffle bag. 

“Wonshik,” Jaehwan prompts and, when Wonshik looks to him, he finds that the witch’s arms have fallen to his sides and the light of curiosity has left his eyes. Wonshik’s movements stutter as he turns towards the man, concernedly awaiting an explanation. “I think I’m gonna go home,” is all Jaehwan says.

“What? Jae, why would you do that?” Wonshik blurts out, even more worried and confused now than he was just a minute ago. There’s no reason for Jaehwan to go home. He may be safe from hunters, but Council is still interested in him and Taekwoon is dying for fuck’s sake. Jaehwan can’t just  _ leave. _

“I can’t just move in with you and spend every minute with you now that we’re dating, Shik. As much as I love you, that’s just not how normal relationships work.”

“But-”

“ _ I know _ ,” Jaehwan interrupts, “Babe, I know we’re not normal, but it wouldn’t be the healthy thing to do either way. I have a commitment to my customers as well and I’ve been gone for  _ days.” _

“And Taekwoon?” Wonshik asks, frustrated because it doesn’t make sense. Maybe they don’t have to spend every moment together, though Wonshik doesn’t see why that’s an issue, but how are the customers not secondary to  _ Taekwoon _ ? Sure, Wonshik and the angel aren’t particularly close, nor did Wonshik hold a particularly special place for him in his heart since he was too busy finding reasons to blame him for his own fear, but his life still means something and it shouldn’t be ending so soon. Jaehwan should be upset. He should want to be there. Taekwoon deserves to have more than two people crying over him. “What are you going to tell Hakyeon? What are you going to tell Taekwoon? ‘Sorry, didn’t feel like coming to keep you company while you’re dying. Maybe next time’,” Wonshik mimics sarcastically, voice scratchy and throat tight because he’s  _ not  _ a crybaby and this is  _ not  _ going to turn him into one. “You were so excited about meeting an angel, Jaehwan. What now?”

Jaehwan sighs, takes a moment to lay his hand on Wonshik’s cheek before saying, “Taekwoon isn’t mine to mourn, Shik. Maybe if I’d met him sooner, but I barely know him. His death is his only and I’m not going to take that away from him by invading his space, your space.” It makes sense and Wonshik hates it, hates that it’s perfectly justified and he can’t just tell him to come anyway because he’ll need the support. So Wonshik only sighs and lets his eyes close as he nuzzles into the witch’s palm, breathing in the scent of perfume that seems stained to the inside of his wrist even after a shower. “I have to go home and you have to go to Hakyeon. He needs you right now, Wonshik, even more than you need me.”

“I know,” the vampire breathes, lips brushing against the human’s palm as he speaks. Wonshik is so close to his wrist that he can feel the phantom of his pulse against his lips, though he knows that’s the last thing he should be thinking about. He’s just anxious about  _ everything  _ and he wishes he could at least feel sound in his own relationship. Hearing Jaehwan speak such sweet words, feeling the warmth of his touch like this, and seeing the overflowing love in his eyes each time their gazes meet, he knows they belong to each other, but when things are the way they are between Hakyeon and Taekwoon, two creatures who were already promised eternity together, things suddenly feel so uncertain. He has felt this in small doses over time, small incidents springing anxiety or simple  _ desire _ , but the anxiety has multiplied tenfold now that he actually has to leave the human. He knows Hakyeon must be feeling worse though, much, much worse and, as opposed to his maker’s relationship, his lover is going to be alive in a week. For what’s definitely not the first time in his life, his death, but somewhat feels like it, he makes a mature, thoughtful decision. “Let’s separate our things then. I have to get going.”

 

Wonshik is terrified as he bounds up the stairs to the front door, but the horror he feels now is still only half that of the night Taekwoon fell. Both his hair and his clothes are uncomfortably damp from the pouring rain by the time he gets into the house, tracking water inside as he rushes through the door and practically slams it behind him. He’s shushed before he even has a chance to survey the scene and it catches him off guard, though, to be fair, he’s sure a pin dropping could catch him off guard right now. He looks to the sound and finds Minhyuk with a finger to his lips, his other finger pointing to the other side of the room. Wonshik follows it with his eyes, finding the angel asleep in Hakyeon’s lap, wings and all, and can’t help blurting out, “What the fuck?” Because, honestly, what the fuck? 

There is the smallest of smiles on Hakyeon’s lips and a look on his face that Wonshik hopes means that things are okay, but his mind is in a million different places right now and he could easily be wrong. He doesn’t know what to believe, what to think and it’s hard to configure such a thing when he has no idea how much they know. How much has Hakyeon told them? How much has he screwed everything up?

“Nice of you to join us,” Eunkwang greets with a chipper tone, “Why don’t you sit down? There is a lot to talk about.” 

 

\-------

 

Taekwoon startles awake, though he’s not sure when he even fell asleep. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, was merely looking for comfort when he turned to rest against the vampire’s chest, but apparently, he was more tired than he thought. It’s not so surprising as it is disappointing. He doesn’t know how much time has passed and he knows the vampires can’t stay long, but he has so much he’s curious about.

Hakyeon whispers to him, needless considering that he can already feel eyes on him, and asks if he’s okay. The angel nods and sits up, doing his best to act like his body isn’t as stiff as it is. Hakyeon would only worry and Taekwoon can’t have that, so he smiles instead. 

“Oh, Taekwoon, you’re up,” comes Wonshik’s voice from somewhere below the angel. Taekwoon looks down, finding the vampire sitting on the floor, back resting against Hakyeon’s legs and head tipped backwards to look at the angel. Taekwoon is relieved to see him there, more grateful to see Wonshik than he’s ever been, and slowly reaches a hand down to pat the vampire’s hair once. It’s awkward, but Wonshik smiles anyway, snorting at him and saying, “Wanna tell Hakyeon to get up so we can switch spots? My butt is starting to hurt from sitting on the floor.”

“I told you to sit on the couch, Shik,” Hakyeon nags, giving his child a weak kick to the back. Wonshik huffs and looks down again, murmuring something unintelligible. 

“Leave him alone, Hakyeon, he’s not even a hundred years old. He probably missed his maker,” Eunkwang chimes in, a teasing tone to his voice. Wonshik tips his head forward again, probably to shoot a glare at the other vampire, but Eunkwang doesn’t seem to be bothered by such a thing. His smile is wide and his eyes are sharp yet kind as he looks down at Wonshik. Taekwoon thinks such a statement can’t be refuted with the way Wonshik acts sometimes, but it’s not a topic of conversation that Taekwoon really cares to talk about right now.

There is just a lot that must be discussed, with Hakyeon, with Hyunsik. He hasn’t talked to Hyunsik in over 200 years and, not that he doesn’t trust the others in the room, but a moment alone would be nice. There are a number of questions he’d like to ask, but, most of all,  _ is it worth it?  _ Taekwoon knows, of course, it must be, Hakyeon will always be worth it. Hakyeon was worth giving up Heaven for, but committing to eternity again as a creature that survives off the suffering of others isn’t a decision easily made. Or, well, it shouldn’t be a decision easily made. Taekwoon knows what he wants to do, but is it smart?  _ Is it worth it?  _

“Oh shit,” Minhyuk exclaims, beckoning the angel’s attention.

When Taekwoon looks up he finds the vampires looking towards the door, prompting a spike of panic to course through him. He moves to stand, but Hakyeon holds him back, gently enough that he could get up if he wanted, but still with some strength. “It’s okay, Taekwoon. We just lost track of time. They have to go for tonight,” Hakyeon informs, voice soothing as if he understands the angel’s fear perfectly. Maybe he does, they experienced that night together after all.

Taekwoon shrinks, slouching and watching with sad eyes as Hyunsik stands along with Minhyuk and Eunkwang. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t ask him to stay, though he isn’t sure why because he knows Hyunsik would if he asked. It all feels strange now though, so much time has passed and, even if Hyunsik still seems as warm and as kind as he always was, things are just  _ different.  _

“Are you going to be okay?” Hyunsik asks, his question directed at the angel. Taekwoon nods with an unintentionally-telling glance in Hakyeon’s direction, and Hyunsik cracks a smile. “Has Hakyeon introduced you to phones yet?”

“Vaguely,” Taekwoon answers, then adds, “I know what they do, but not how to do it,” when Hyunsik furrows his brows in question. 

“Well, Hakyeon will teach you tonight if you’re up to it,” Hyunsik tells him, walking over to pat Hakyeon on the shoulder for no other identifiable reason than to pressure him, “Then you can call me whenever. Hakyeon has my number and I’m sure there are things you’re curious about.”

“You can ask me too, if it’s not specifically angel related,” Hakyeon adds, standing up behind the angel. 

“Hyunsik, we really have to go,” Minhyuk urges, though he’s walking in the opposite direction of the door. He’s walking towards Taekwoon, then past him, and hugging Hakyeon briefly before stepping back, looking to Taekwoon with an indiscernible expression. Taekwoon can only interpret it as worry, the look in his eyes and his slightly curled lips closely resembling the way Hakyeon looks at him when he’s pretending not to be worried out of his mind, and he thinks that, if he dies, perhaps Minhyuk would be a good comfort to Hakyeon. 

Hyunsik steps forward, embracing the fallen angel just as the vampires had a few moments prior, and Taekwoon relishes in it. It’s nice to hug Hyunsik again after so long, now that he’s levelheaded and able to think, able to appreciate the way he still smells like Heaven and the newfound warmth of his embrace. It used to be cold, being held in Hyunsik’s arms, in the way he supposes only angels could be, but, even with the dull heat that envelopes him and the familiarity of being held in the arms of a friend, he thinks he likes being wrapped up in Hakyeon much more. Perhaps it’s just the passage of time, or maybe it’s just that he’s found himself  _ in love _ with Hakyeon, but he can’t call himself disappointed when Hyunsik pulls away and Hakyeon replaces him with a shoulder against his own and an arm linked in his. 

“Take care of him, Hakyeon,” Hyunsik instructs, voice sterner than it probably needs to be. 

“Of course,” Hakyeon assures, just before Hyunsik is being pulled away by an insistent Minhyuk. Minhyuk mutters an apology, heading towards the front door where Eunkwang is already standing, slipping his own shoes on.

“It was nice to meet you, Taekwoon, though I wish it was on different terms,” Eunkwang speaks from his place at the door. He turns away from the angel, apparently not awaiting any sort of response, and opens the door and throws a comment that is anything but casual over his shoulder in a casual way, “Don’t fret yourself over your falling too much, oh dear angel. There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin.”

This, for some reason, prompts Wonshik to pull a pillow from the couch and throw it at him. Eunkwang is scurrying out the door with a laugh before the blow can land though, and the two vampires that came with him follow with faint laughs and heavy ‘goodbye’s.

“I can’t believe he’s using this situation to quote Hozier,” Wonshik scoffs, though amusement is evident in his voice. Taekwoon doesn’t know what Hozier is, or rather who he is, but his words resonate within him all the same, makes him want to live more than he probably should. 

Hakyeon dismisses this with a wave of his hand and, “Leave it alone; It’s Eunkwang,” in favor of starting up a new conversation. “I didn’t want to bring it up in front of everyone, but where is Jaehwan? I thought you were both coming here.”

“That’s what you want to talk about right now? Not the fact that you could have just killed us by letting Taekwoon’s secret out of this house?” Wonshik retorts, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. 

Taekwoon doesn’t need to know Wonshik as well as Hakyeonl to know that he’s hurt over the topic, attacking Hakyeon simply because it’s easier than talking about Jaehwan. As foolish as it is, he’d miss that- if he could, that is. There is nothing to death, no longing or sadness, but he thinks he’d find a way to sorrow anyway.

“Fine, we will talk about this since I can’t really fight you when you already did it anyway.” Wonshik submits with a huff when Hakyeon stands his ground, doesn’t even waste a word on him when he can just wait for the answer to the question he asked instead. “Jaehwan said,” he starts, rather aggressively, then stops, glancing to Taekwoon for only half a second before he’s softening his tone and speaking again, “Jaehwan said that Taekwoon’s death isn’t his to mourn and he doesn’t want to invade our space. That doesn’t matter now though, right? You’re just gonna turn him and we’ll keep hiding him until we can think of some bullshit story to tell Council.”

Hakyeon looks to Taekwoon then, giving him the opportunity to bear the bad news if he so wishes. He doesn’t want to though, and so they simply stare at each other for a few seconds too long. “You’re kidding me,” Wonshik scoffs, evidently catching on without so much as a glance in his direction. 

“He said he’s going to think about it,” Hakyeon clarifies, finally looking to his child. 

“Taekwoon, what the hell?” Wonshik asks, caught somewhere between hurt and angry, “We- We bonded and stuff and I trusted you with Hakyeon and now you’re just gonna say fuck it and let yourself die?”

Hakyeon sighs, steps away from Taekwoon in order to take Wonshik’s hand and lead him to sit on the couch. Surprisingly, Wonshik obeys, sits on the couch and sends a pointed look to the angel, like Taekwoon is at all the reason he’s being treated like a child. Taekwoon doesn’t fault him for it, he understands Wonshik’s frustration. Still, it barely makes it any easier to be on the receiving end of it. “At this point we should just get a fucking conference room,” Wonshik grumbles as he throws himself back against the sofa.

“Jesus, language, please, Wonshik,” Hakyeon chastises before turning and gesturing for Taekwoon to sit as well. Taekwoon complies, leaving a decent bit of space between him and the vampire, and focuses on the elder instead of Wonshik because it’s just  _ easier.  _ Hakyeon will listen to the angel, tell him what he wants to hear and whatever other pretty things he feels like saying, but Wonshik is Wonshik and he has no obligation, moral or otherwise, to be gentle with Taekwoon.

“Listen, both of you,” the elder vampire instructs, voice firm yet lacking any sort of venom, “Things are hard and they’re going to continue to be hard, but it’s not going to be made better by any arguments, so I’d really appreciate it if you’d try to talk about this.”

Wonshik makes a noise at the back of his throat, indignant, and says, “This literally couldn’t get any more stupid.”

“Please, Wonshik-”

“Okay, god, I’m talking, I’m talking,” his child laments, turning to face Taekwoon, “I was scared to let you guys like- like each other because Hakyeon is weird and romantic and loves everyone too much. I thought things would be okay, though, if you actually got together and like fell in love and  _ stayed  _ together, but now you just- what- you’re scared? You don’t want to be a vampire so you’re just opting out at the cost of everyone else?”

“It’s not an easy decision to make,” Hakyeon defends. 

Wonshik looks Hakyeon directly in the eye with a glare that has the potential to make even Taekwoon cower and asks, “How would I know that, Hakyeon?” Hakyeon has nothing to say to this, looks down and away. “Exactly.”

“I want to live,” Taekwoon blurts out because he, oddly enough, finds it less difficult than listening to  _ this  _ right now. He is rewarded with a soundless room, even the rain has stopped for him, and he feels he has no choice but to explain himself, “I don’t look down on vampires for what they are, the nature of what I am gives me no right to, even if I wanted to. It’s just that ending the lives of bad creatures to save the lives of good ones is one thing and harming innocent humans out of my own want to live is another.”

“I still don’t get why you get to make that decision and I didn’t,” says the younger vampire as he abruptly stands and wordlessly brushes past his maker as he goes to leave. Hakyeon doesn’t try to stop him, just watches with a level stare as the younger man runs off to his own bedroom and pauses outside the door. “Why does he get a choice? I was a stranger when you saved me so why don’t you care enough to save him?” 

The door slams louder than any crash of thunder, of which Taekwoon distantly notes has stopped, but the sigh that comes afterward is soft, melancholy, like raindrops falling in the flowerbed outside his window. Taekwoon sighs as well and drops his face into his hands, tired and disheartened. A palm falls onto his shoulder, “He just wants you to live, Darling. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but he has good intentions.”

“I know,” Taekwoon breathes, placing a hand over the vampire’s on his shoulder. Unfortunately though, his decision hasn’t become any more clear and, if he weren’t so exhausted, he’d make that call to Hyunsik tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading y'all,, here is to hoping the next update comes quicker than this one did
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated !!


	23. Night 22- Smoke and Flower Petals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know the drill

\-------

 

Hakyeon wakes slowly, crammed between two bodies, one that’s not supposed to be there, but is anyway, and one that might not be there in a few more days, and it’s so pleasant he could cry. Wonshik’s body is almost uncomfortably warm against his and, though Taekwoon is no longer using his chest as a pillow, his wings are tucked under the blankets tonight and lying heavy over Hakyeon’s stomach. It’s crowded, all of them lying on one side of the bed, _his_ side of the bed, and he knows he should hate how stuffy it is, but he relishes in it anyway. 

It’s just _nice_ , even more so since he wasn’t woken up by a pillow to the face.

It’s only been about a week since the last time Wonshik planted himself in the elder’s bed, but it feels like an eternity has passed. The last time his child was in his bed, Jaehwan was unharmed, the hunters were just a distant threat, and Taekwoon was alive, healthy. He thinks he’d put up with Wonshik and Jaehwan’s cowardly dance around their feelings for the rest of his life if it meant none of the bad stuff ever happened. He’d find another way to get them together eventually anyway, he doesn’t think five deaths are worth it.

He shifts slightly, moving towards the middle of the bed where Taekwoon is lying in order to give Wonshik more room so he doesn’t either roll off the bed or cause both of them to overheat. Though, when he removes himself from his child who had glued himself to Hakyeon’s side, Wonshik flinches, body waking before his mind. Wonshik’s hands fly out from under the comforter and float in the air for a few moments before his eyes blink open. Hakyeon snorts at him and stretches over to kiss at the younger vampire’s temple. 

“Did he decide yet?” Wonshik asks with his eyes barely open, voice like thunder in the night. It’s not what Hakyeon was expecting to come out of his child’s mouth, but, from the way he said it and the way he seemed to shock himself out of his grogginess afterward, he doubts Wonshik expected it either. 

Hakyeon tries not to sound too sad when he says, “Not yet.” 

Wonshik groans as he stretches, elbowing Hakyeon in the head as he does, and mumbles out, “Can you wake him up so I can yell at him?”

Hakyeon doesn’t know whether to laugh or pout at that because, as entertaining as the younger’s childish antics are, it resonates within Hakyeon too deeply for him to brush it off with a chuckle. He wouldn’t admit to it aloud, but a selfish part of him is angry at Taekwoon for backing out now. They’ve come so far, have been through so much, and, now that there is finally an answer to all of their problems, the angel is considering giving it up. Though, he’s more scared than angry and he’d never take it out on Taekwoon anyway. The angel just needs time to understand, to decide and Hakyeon isn’t too sure that’s a luxury they have right now.

That’s something to worry about later though, as ironic as that may be, because Wonshik is dejectedly rolling over onto his side, turning his back to his maker as he grumbles something unintelligible. Hakyeon rolls too, laying an arm over his child’s side and giving him a short while to settle before speaking again.

“You’re allowed to say you care about him, Shik. You can love him and it doesn’t have to be a big deal,” Hakyeon speaks calmly, using the sweet, hushed tone that must always be used when speaking to a pouty Wonshik. 

A scoff. “Because that worked out so well for you?”

Hakyeon takes the freedom and privacy that comes with talking into the nape of his child’s neck to roll his eyes. On top of this, he delivers a jab to Wonshik’s ribs and tells him, “I love every spiteful bit of you, but can you be honest with me for a minute here, Shik?”

Hakyeon is expecting a hard refusal, knowing Wonshik is ever so stubborn about unreserved honesty and, god forbid, _feelings_. Though, after less than a minute, Wonshik nods, soft and shy as if they haven’t known each other for decades. Even so, Hakyeon starts again just as softly, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me to be before, but I am now and I’m doing my best to keep everything afloat. So, just tell me how you’re feeling about everything- about Taekwoon, about the hunters, about Jaehwan.”

“It’s weird,” Wonshik says with a huff. 

Once upon a time, Hakyeon thought Wonshik’s resistance to sharing his feelings was a character flaw, something that needed to be changed, but the elder has learned that, for all the problems it causes, it’s something that makes Wonshik, Wonshik. They have their moments where his child’s stubbornness raises hell, but Hakyeon is sure that everyone has a quality like that, whether they show it or not. Wonshik lives honestly in the weirdest, most constrained way that only he could manage, and if Hakyeon were to change him then he’d no longer be Wonshik. 

Doesn’t mean he can’t be bitter about it though. 

Still, instead of rushing him, Hakyeon hums, melodic and smooth, and waits for him to speak in his own time. 

Eventually, his child breaks the quiet, his gruff voice overlapping the sound of the angel’s heart beating rhythmically in his chest. “I mean, what I did with the hunters’ bodies is sort of a blur now. Maybe it’s shitty of me, but I couldn’t really care less about them, what I did to them. I just miss Jae and wish he was here so I could pretend everything isn’t so messed up. I want Taekwoon to be okay and I want you to be okay. I’m just- I’m so sick of tragedy, Hakyeon.”

“Me too, Shik, me too,” Hakyeon sighs, ducking his head down to press his forehead against the nape of Wonshik’s neck. He bites his lip, fighting tears that have snuck up on him out of nowhere and takes a deep breath, more out of comfort than necessity, and continues with, “If you want to leave and visit Jaehwan, I’d understand, but I fear you’d regret it if Taekwoon chooses not to become a vampire.”`

“To die,” Wonshik corrects, much to Hakyeon’s dismay.

“Either way, it’s his choice,” the elder responds with a tight throat, “I don’t know if it’d be a good idea for Jae to come here though, maybe not while Taekwoon is alive. If Taekwoon wants to see him, then fine, but if not, you’ll have to wait. And you know how it is after you turn, how bad the thirst is, I don’t know if Jaehwan could come then either. So, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to bear with us for now.”

Wonshik makes a small noise, broken and sad, and breathes out a doleful, “I hate this.”

Just then, the blankets are ruffled at Hakyeon’s back and the slowly decaying wing that is lying over the two vampires twitches slightly, coming up to poke out from under the comforter. The elder vampire is about to roll over, check on the angel, but before he has the chance to, Taekwoon presses himself to Hakyeon’s back in the same way he’s pressed to Wonshik’s, and let out a barely-there grunt against Hakyeon’s shoulder. 

“Is everything okay, Taekwoon?” he asks over his shoulder, only that of the angel’s wing and shoulder visible in the corner of Hakyeon’s eye.

“Noisy,” Taekwoon mumbles, nuzzling his face into the back of Hakyeon’s neck, his shoulder, until he finds a comfortable place for himself and settles there. 

“Sorry, dude,” Wonshik says in a way that was definitely supposed to be normal, casual, but sounded forced and awkward anyway.

Taekwoon tenses, obviously unaware of the fact that Wonshik is in bed with them, but he doesn’t complain. The angel says something, practically unintelligible, though it sounds somewhat like, “It’s okay,” and quiet falls over them after that.

 

None of them rise from bed for another hour or so, all exhausted and lacking any motivation to greet the world that screwed them all. They only end up getting up because Taekwoon is very obviously uncomfortable, continuously tossing and turning in bed. 

Hakyeon sits up, unintentionally taking the blankets with him, though Taekwoon doesn’t seem to mind and Wonshik poking at his side isn’t enough of a complaint for him to care about. He yawns and stretches his arms over his head dramatically before looking down to the younger vampire in question, still wiping sleepy tears from his eyes. Wonshik doesn’t speak, just points to the blankets that have been folded over on the bed. Hakyeon looks to them with furrowed brows, but the second he sets his eyes on the space in front of him, he understands. Taekwoon’s wings must not have done well being suffocated under the covers, though he doesn’t think the constant shifting helped either. Hakyeon may as well be looking at a stormy sky, the foreboding grey smudges that lie before him promising nothing but a sad night and some minor destruction. 

Slightly panicked, he flips the comforter back over, if only so he won’t have to look at it anymore. The edge of it lands over Taekwoon’s face, tickling the tip of his nose and causing him to scrunch it up, eyes still closed as he struggles to find sleep. Hakyeon needs to wash the covers before Taekwoon sees them because, although the angel seems to have accepted the (potential) end to his life already, Hakyeon can’t imagine waking up to see the promise of death waiting for you in your lap would make for a very good time. “Taekwoon, if you can’t sleep or get comfortable you may as well do something to fill the time,” he blurts out, thankfully sounding more convincing than he thought it’d come out. 

“Should I?” Taekwoon ponders, still sounding tired, but finally opening his eyes. They linger on the ceiling before flickering to Hakyeon and crinkling the least bit, his smile obvious on his face even when it’s completely concealed.

“The piano is getting lonely without you,” Hakyeon adds with a honey-like tone, as if he’s coaxing a child out of bed instead of a creature that’s apparently older than himself. “I have to clean a bit and do some laundry, so Wonshik can keep you company if you like,” he offers, though he hadn’t consulted the younger vampire at all.

To Hakyeon’s surprise and delight, Wonshik plays along without complaint. “Yeah, I have to teach you the rest of that song anyway. Wanna just stay in our pajamas and go?”

Taekwoon pushes himself up to sit and nods as he rubs his eyes. In stark contrast to the angel’s lethargic actions, Wonshik pops up, practically springing out of bed before he pauses to stretch. “You need a minute?” the younger asks with one arm awkwardly bent behind his head. 

“No, I’m okay,” Taekwoon assures as he scoots to the edge of the bed and slowly lowers his feet to the ground. Worried, Hakyeon rushes over, moves to stand in front of the angel and offering a hand. Taekwoon doesn’t take it, stands up perfectly fine on his own and only slips his fingers between the vampire’s when he’s steady on his feet. “I’ll be fine, Hakyeonnie,” he comforts.

Hakyeon forces a smile on his face and pecks at Taekwoon’s cheek before saying, “I know, Darling.” 

“Alright, let’s go, you guys are gross,” Wonshik beckons, cringing at the cute moment between the angel and the vampire. Hakyeon sputters out a laugh and pulls his hand out of the angel’s to pat his back instead.

“Go, have fun for a while, relax if you can. If you need me you know what to do.”

“I know,” Taekwoon confirms before stepping away and catching up with Wonshik who is waiting in the doorway. Hakyeon looks to his child, mouths ‘thank you’ while the angel has his back turned to him, and, weirdly enough, appreciates the way Wonshik sticks his tongue out in childish response.

Wonshik shuts the door behind them before they head upstairs and Hakyeon couldn’t be more grateful for it, tears brimming in his eyes the second the door closes. He crumbles just as quickly as sand through spread fingers and looks to the bed with blurred vision. He’ll do the things he needs to do, but first, he just needs to cry. He never realizes just how tightly coiled he is until he gets a chance to release, gets a chance to be as sad as he wants and curse the gods (as long as it doesn’t draw any attention from whatever company he has). It’s worth it though, even when things feel so painfully hopeless that he just wants to walk outside and scream, it’s worth it to spend what may be the last of the angel’s days with a smile on their faces. Hakyeon had decided to focus on the good since worrying is worthless before that fateful night and he is forcing himself to adopt that philosophy once again. First, though, he’s going to sob to his heart’s content. 

 

\--------

 

Taekwoon is diligently learning the notes of yet another one of Wonshik’s old songs, one titled ‘Beautiful Liar’, and the vampire can’t help thinking that it suits their situation quite well. Perhaps it doesn’t suit Wonshik too well because he isn’t telling as big of lies as Hakyeon, but right now it may as well be the soundtrack to Hakyeon’s life. Wonshik heard him crying before they started playing, but, even if he hadn’t, Wonshik has known his maker too long to not be able to tell a fake smile from a real one. Besides, you don’t just bounce back from what Hakyeon went through, what he’s still going through. He’d be an idiot to think his maker is handling this well at all, which is the only reason he didn’t fight the elder when he was put on babysitting duty. Jaehwan was, unfortunately, right when he said Hakyeon needs Wonshik more than Wonshik needs him. 

“Wonshik,” Taekwoon prompts in a voice louder than he usually speaks. Wonshik eyes seem to refocus on the angel, noticing that the white-haired male is gazing up at him, and only continues his mindless staring until Taekwoon speaks up again, softer now, “You missed your part.”

“Oh, sorry, I zoned out,” Wonshik says, turning his attention to the sheet in his hands, as if staring at lyrics he has already memorized will help him focus at all. “We can restart again, sorry,” he apologizes again, waving a hand to prompt Taekwoon to start playing again. 

Though, before Taekwoon can even sing his first word, Wonshik’s phone is vibrating loudly against the piano. Taekwoon sits up and leans forward, obviously not having learned the general rule that is ‘don’t creep on other people’s phones’ yet. “It says it’s Jaehwan,” Taekwoon announces as he picks up the phone and holds it out to the vampire. 

“Shit, give me a minute,” Wonshik says, grabbing the phone from the angel’s hand and immediately swiping to answer. “Hey, Jae, what’s up?” he greets, stepping away towards the window just in case they’re close enough for Taekwoon to hear Jaehwan’s voice over the phone. He wouldn’t mind generally, but there’s no way Taekwoon won’t come up in conversation now and Wonshik isn’t sure what the human is going to say. 

“I just finished with some customers and I have a bit of free time, so I figured I’d call and check-in. How are things, Babe?” Jaehwan asks. 

Wonshik side-eyes Taekwoon, finding that the angel’s attention is still very much on him, and chooses his words carefully. “Well, I’m hanging out with Taekwoon right now,” he says, hoping Jaehwan will take the hint that they can’t talk about anything explicitly right now.      

“Ah, how is he doing?” Jaehwan, the fool, asks.

“Jaehwan, like right now.”

“Oh!” the witch exclaims in understanding, “Sorry, bad timing I guess. Will you be free around three?”

“Probably.”

“Alright, call you then, Baby. I love you.”

Wonshik hesitates to respond, not because he doesn’t love Jaehwan, but because it’s still so new and _embarrassing,_ especially when Taekwoon is staring at him like he is. Though, the angel looks away, ears tinged red, when the vampire holds eye contact for too long. He swallows hard and focuses hard out the window before saying, “I love you too.”

Jaehwan makes a soft sound, very obviously fond even through the phone, and Wonshik is sure he’s a fool for being coaxed into smiling with something so insignificant as a hum. It’s just so easy to picture the witch smiling, even more so when he ends the call with, “I know. I’ll talk to you soon, Shik.”

Wonshik takes a moment to put his cool, ‘can’t be bothered’ mask on before turning back to the angel and nonchalantly leaning against the piano. “Sorry, man, Jae just had a minute so he figured he’d call. You know, boyfriend stuff,” Wonshik lies, though, even as the words are coming out of his mouth he knows they’re not convincing in the least. 

“He asked about me, right?” Taekwoon questions, not bothering to look up to the vampire as he speaks. 

Wonshik lets out a heavy breath and replies, “Yeah, uh, he did, but can you blame him?”

“I’m fine, you can tell him I’m good when he calls back,” the angel tells him as he plucks at the keys. 

There’s no melody to it, it’s stilted and honestly a bit unpleasant, but that’s not what irks Wonshik. What irks Wonshik is that Taekwoon has the audacity to say he’s ‘good’ when everything's falling apart around him. Hakyeon is still broken and putting some metaphorical bandaid on shit isn’t gonna fix things and neither is treating the angel like he’s some sort of fragile, powerless thing. Taekwoon is being confronted with death and he’s still seamlessly smiling, forcing Hakyeon to bend to his will with only a short, soft-spoken suggestion. Those aren’t the actions of a weak creature. 

“Want to try again?” 

“Do you really think this is what we should be talking about right now? I’m not one to talk about feelings, but, fuck, dude, you can’t be this stupid. At least call Hyunsik, let him convince you if you won’t even do it for Hakyeon,” Wonshik spits out against his better judgment, voice raising more than particularly necessary. Taekwoon is obviously shocked, hurt, but he deserves this right now. Hakyeon babies him, but, if Wonshik is willing to talk shit to his own maker, he’s not gonna back down from this. Besides, he has a few more words to get in and he can already feel Hakyeon coming closer. “You killed people, yeah, it’s fucked up, but the universe’s ruling is bullshit and not everything is black or white. You have a chance to live and if you don’t take it you’re gonna kill Hakyeon and that’s gonna kill me, so don’t be stupid.”

“I just can’t- I can’t hurt people-”

“What is going on?” Hakyeon asks, voice stern and obviously not actually looking for an answer, as he hurries into the room. Wonshik knows Hakyeon heard everything, must have if he was listening for his own name spoken from Taekwoon’s mouth, so he doesn’t feel too compelled to answer. Though, he can’t imagine why it would have taken the elder so long to answer had he really been listening. Wonshik almost thinks that _maybe_ Hakyeon was hoping his child would actually talk some sense into the angel, but then Wonshik did as Wonshik does and lost his temper a bit. It was worth it though, if it means he actually got through to Taekwoon even a little bit.

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon speaks up in place of Wonshik, defending him for reasons unknown. 

“It is?” Hakyeon asks, glancing between the two. Wonshik doesn’t respond, but he sees the angel nod in his peripheral vision, and his maker lets out a soft, “Oh.” 

The elder stalks into the room, places a hand on Wonshik’s shoulder, seemingly more to comfort him than to subtly tell him to get his shit together and calm down as such a touch would usually mean. It’s appreciated, but the younger vampire is in no mood to sit back and be consoled. He’s frustrated, wants to run out of the house again, maybe visit Jaehwan, but he can’t because _what if?_ He stays standing there, silence thick between them like fog on the most humid of nights, and only leaves with a weighted glanced to the angel when Hakyeon says, “Well, I’m just about done with everything so why don’t we all take a break? Wonshik, why don’t you take a bit to put your stuff from Minhyuk’s away, okay?”

 

\---------

 

Hakyeon almost wonders why he even bothered to clean the sheets when, barely half an hour after convincing the angel to come downstairs, they’re tucked into bed again, Taekwoon on the borderline of sleep in the vampire’s arms. His wings aren’t under the covers now and he’s not moving as much, but it makes Hakyeon anxious anyway. There are things that should probably be discussed, like what just went on between Wonshik and Taekwoon, but the angel is tired and hasn’t mentioned it, so Hakyeon doubts he should either. He hadn’t meant to make him and Wonshik into a sort of good cop/ bad cop thing, but he can’t say he wouldn’t be glad if it ends up working. 

Taekwoon grunts quietly and hugs Hakyeon tighter, like such a thing with heal him at all or help him get more comfortable. “Can’t sleep?” the vampire asks, though he already knows the answer. The angel shakes his head before giving up his assault on Hakyeon’s ribs and pushing himself to sit up. “You want to do something, or watch something maybe? Maybe it’d take your mind off of it for a while.”

A sigh, “I just want to shower and go to bed.”

“Are you going to be okay? Maybe a bath would be better so you don’t slip or anything.”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

 

“Is the water okay?” Hakyeon asks, approximately fifteen minutes later with Taekwoon standing beside him in only a towel and water dripping down his neck. The angel bends down, flicking a hand through the water before offering an affirmative hum. 

He’s embarrassed, Hakyeon knows this, but he can’t help teasing him a bit when he’s adorably flushed down to his shoulders and speaking in a cute, high tone. Of course, the vampire comforted him first, pet his hair and told him ‘it’s okay’ when he peeked out of the bathroom door and admitted he was too tired to stand for so long, to do much of anything. Hakyeon told him he’d run him a bath, help him wash, do all those sweet things while teasing him the minimum amount. 

“Here, get in, Darling, before the water goes cold,” Hakyeon instructs, standing up from where he was crouched next to the tub and looking to the angel. He’s clutching the knot that Hakyeon tied in his towel, fixed unnecessarily high up his middle for some faux sense of modesty, and eyeing the water like it’s a threat. “Would you like a hand? I’ll try not to look if you’re not comfortable with it.”

“Maybe,” the angel murmurs, “I don’t mind if you look, just don’t let me slip.” 

“Alright, then, give me your hand,” the vampire tells him, holding his own hand out for Taekwoon to take. Once their palms meet, Hakyeon steps behind the angel, placing his free hand on the other male’s waist. It doesn’t actually do much to support him, but it makes it easier for Hakyeon to wrap an arm around him and catch him if he really does slip. 

Taekwoon pushes a good amount of his weight onto Hakyeon as he steps into the tub, but neither of them falter, and the angel makes it in without incident. Hakyeon releases his grip on the angel’s waist and points to his towel, silently urging him to take it off before it gets soaked in the water. The angel glances to him for only half a second, flushing even more deeply now, before looking down to the knot in his towel and slowly moving his hands to it. Hakyeon looks away just in case his attention is unwelcome at a time like now, but holds his arm out for the angel to hang his towel on like a dutiful butler, and doesn’t look back until Taekwoon says, “It’s okay. You can look.”

Taekwoon is lying down with his pink knees poking out of the water and his head tipped back against the cool porcelain, looking tired, but still angelic, as always. Hakyeon squats down beside him, remembering how this too, like the way they were in bed earlier, is a reflection of a simpler time. They kissed here, not that it was their first kiss, but it was the first one that truly mattered, and Hakyeon felt himself falling in love, was nervous and excited all one and the same, and it wasn’t _this._ It wasn’t him helping Taekwoon into a bathtub because he can’t be trusted to do it himself; It wasn’t Hakyeon wondering if the angel could even wash his hair on his own without growing too weak or tired to lift himself out of the tub. 

Hakyeon holds back a sigh and forces himself to get going because if he sits here staring any longer he may never get up. And so, he kneels, walks on his knees until he’s parallel with the angel’s head, and dips his hand in the water. Taekwoon’s eyes are closed, so Hakyeon takes it upon himself to flick water into his face. 

The angel sputters and lifts his head, looking to Hakyeon with a pout on his lips. “I have to wash your hair, Darling. Can you sit up for me?” 

Taekwoon wordlessly complies, wings rising out of the water and doing their best at blocking Hakyeon’s path to the angel’s hair. Hakyeon considers asking him to lower them, tuck them as best he can, but the vampire doesn’t want to make him any more uncomfortable, so instead, he, himself, stands. He rolls his pajama pants up until they’re bunched up just above his knee, and steps into the bath, seating himself on the edge of the tub at the angel’s back. His knees are bracketing the angel’s shoulders, legs spread wide to accommodate the broad male while the smooth surface of porcelain manages to dig uncomfortably into Hakyeon’s ass. He doesn’t complain, only asks, “Good?”

“Good,” Taekwoon confirms, reaching for the shampoo standing on the opposite edge of the tub to hand over his head to Hakyeon. The vampire squirts some into his palm, rubs his hands together, and tenderly massages through the angel’s hair, just barely scratching at his scalp. “What if I fall asleep?” the white-haired male asks, letting his head fall back slightly and raising his eyes to look at the black-haired male.

“Close your eyes,” Hakyeon instructs first, then, when Taekwoon does so, he adds, “Then you fall asleep. I’ll cover you up and carry you to bed if need be, is that alright?”

“As long as I don’t smell like magic anymore,” Taekwoon sighs, though it could just as easily be interpreted as a purr. Hakyeon smiles, finding it easier to ignore doom when the angel is so content resting between his legs. The scent of magic is still there, ever-present and smokier now than ever, but it’s at least partly masked by the scent of shampoo and the bath oil Hakyeon slipped in that has already completely dissolved, leaving scattered petals of pink delphinium in its wake. Melodramatic as always, Hakyeon finds himself thinking it’s quite the metaphor.

 

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It’s beyond selfish, but Taekwoon thinks just maybe, _maybe,_ this is worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading !! i appreciate every single kudos and comment !!


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